ParkMagic takes the payn out of pay 'n' display

(Credit: ParkMagic)

Forget coin meters and time-stamped windshield stickers. A new service called Mobile Parking Service, launched this week by Irish company ParkMagic, in collaboration with Verizon's Skytel subsidiary, brings parking into the digital age.

Rather than digging around for coins down the back of the passenger seat, drivers use the service to pay for parking by making a call from their cell phones, which debits a prepaid account. A message is then sent wirelessly to a digital display on the car's dashboard to show the parking time remaining. The service, which will be coming to cities across the U.S., has been up and running in Ireland since last year.

It sounds like a good idea, but we're not sure how it will fly with parking attendants.
Driver: "I paid virtually, by cell phone."
Parking attendant: "That's OK, your parking fine is in your in-box."

[MilanBaloh]

Not that new

Aside the electronic display, this system is already running in Slovenia in many cities including the capital Ljubljana, the only difference is that you get a printout from the parking ticket post.

[ellis feigenbaum]

Similar concept in Israel

we have a digital display which you can refil at filling stations.
it comes preset with rates and time limits for local towns, so in tel aviv you get 3 hours at 75 cents an hour in jerusalem it may be a 2 hour limit with a dollar an hour tarrif.
you just set your locality and it tells you how much time you have and what it will cost.
Ellis