Series of Parking Changes Begins in New Plymouth

From tomorrow (Friday) parking beneath The Warehouse will become much easier.

The Council has installed coloured lights above the parking spaces in the Lower Courtenay Car Park which will indicate when a space is available.

Manager Regulatory Services Simon Pickford says the system will be very useful in the popular and relatively low-light car park.

“When you’re driving down the ramp from Courtenay Street it can be difficult to realise there’s a free bay near you,” he says.

“When a parking bay is full the light above will turn red. When a bay is free the light will be green, and when a mobility space is free the light will be light purple.”

This is the first in a series of technology improvements that are coming to parking in the city.

Every paid and time-limited on-street and Council off-street parking space will be monitored by a new system from 19 November. The public can get used to the new parking machines that come with it from Tuesday next week (30 October) in the Wind Wand Car Park.

“While the new system will take coins, credit cards and txt payments from phones, during the first few weeks the Wind Wand Car Park machine will only take coins,” says Mr Pickford.

“However this will give drivers the chance to get used to the new system which requires people to tap in their car park number. People will get a payment receipt but there is nothing to put on the car dashboard – you just pay and walk away.”

A machine will also be installed in the Civic Centre reception from 5 November for people to try out.

In mid-November the Upper Courtenay Car Park outside The Warehouse will be altered to make it one-way, and an electronic sign on the footpath will display the number of free spaces in the upper and lower car parks.