Pay to park on your smartphone

August 15, 2017 by SBC

Tuesday 15th August 2017

Rummaging through pockets for change to pay for parking will soon be a thing of the past, as the Council rolls out smartphone payments at its car parks.

Working with parking payment service, MOBON, the Council has set up the scheme in five of the most popular pay and display car parks in Southend-on-Sea.

The car parks that are already active on this scheme are:

• Essex Street
• Civic Centre North
• London Road North
• Tylers Avenue
• York Road

The popular Seaways car park will also be operating on MOBON this weekend.

Most Council-owned pay and display car parks across the town will operate with MOBON by mid-September, though work will be carried out on seafront machines after the peak summer season to avoid disruption.

While motorists can still choose to pay by card or cash, the new scheme will enhance the parking experience for people wishing to park across the town. Motorists simply need to download the app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, and purchase the time and location of the ticket you require. Alternatively, you can visit www.gomobon.com create and account and log in each time you park.

Additionally, If you are going to stay for longer than you had originally planned, you can simply top up your payment from your phone, without having to walk back to the parking meter.

Ticket inspectors located in these car parks are equipped with handheld devices that allow them to check which cars have paid via the app. There is no extra charge for using this service, and motorists are sent a free text message or email, reminding them of how long they have left on their ticket.

Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste and Regulatory Services, has welcomed the new service. He said: “We are always looking at ways of improving the visitor experience in Southend-on-Sea and making it easier to park up or extend your stay will remove stress and hassle for many residents and visitors who prefer to pay on their mobile.

“We are confident that this scheme will be embraced by residents and visitors alike and we will now work hard to roll out mobile payments to the remainder of Council-owned car parks.”

Signing up to the service is simple to set up and once registered, it takes a few clicks to pay for a ticket. To sign up, please visit www.gomobon.com