Gosport: Pay-and-display machines to be switched off

Drivers will have to use their mobile phones to pay for parking at sites across the borough, including the seafront facilities at Stokes Bay.

Next month short-stay car parks in the town centre will be among the first to switch to mobile-only payments.

Nine of the 37 machines in the town will be kept but at most sites drivers will be asked to use MiPermit.

Drivers will have to use their mobile phones once the pay-and-display machines are removed (Image: Martini archive)

Council bosses say the move will save thousands of pounds of public money as the machines are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and operate.

Retaining them would involve expensive upgrades as they rely on the 3G phone signal, which is being phased out.

READ MORE: Changes to on-street parking at Eastleigh due to come into force next month

MiPermit gives drivers the options of paying by text, QR code, automated phone line, smartphone app or via a website. Payments can also be made by speaking to an assistant on MiPermit's helpline. A smartphone is not necessary.

The council leader, Cllr Peter Chegwyn, said: "Many people are already using MiPermit.

"You can choose the most convenient payment method for you, and there's no need to worry about having the right change, dealing with paper tickets or struggling with faulty machines. You can even extend your stay without returning to your car.

"I've paid for parking on my mobile and found it straightforward.

"I appreciate that for most people it's a change. But in the current financial climate we need to save taxpayers' money wherever we can, and this will save council taxpayers about £30,000 per year.

"We want to concentrate our spending on priorities such as improving the town centre, protecting public services and investing in a cleaner, greener Gosport."

Drivers will have to use their mobile phones once the pay-and-display machines are switched off (Image: Supplied)

Next month all the pay-and-display machines in short-stay town centre car parks will be switched off. The first hour of parking will remain free, with MiPermit payments needed only for longer stays.

READ MORE: Southampton woman's parking permit anger after £25 fine

Machines at Hardway Slipway and No 2 Battery East will be shut down at the same time.

Those at other car parks will be switched off in phases, with the process due to be completed by the end of the year.

The nine machines due to be kept are at Walpole Park, Pebble Beach, Gilkicker, No.2 Battery West, Beach Road, Marine Parade, Alver Valley Country Park East, and Alver Valley Country Park West.