Spare change surplus to requirements as parking goes mobile

The days of scrambling in your pockets for spare change to feed the meter appear to be disappearing, as more motorists choose to pay via their mobile phone.

According to mobile parking operator Parkbytext, a third of people parking their cars in the Republic are now opting to use their phone to pay, with transactions increasing 60 per cent in 2015 over the prior year.

The company recorded around 530,000 transactions in 2015 for parking through text, over the phone, online, or through its app. Parkbytext also issues visitor parking and virtual permits, which saw a rise of 10 per cent to more than 270,000 transactions.

Among the heaviest users are Luas travellers, the company said. Parkbytext has more than 300 locations across Ireland, with 125 locations across the UK and US. The company now has more than 71,000 registered users.

Chief executive Jim Moore said 2015 was a great year for the company, with steady growth in Ireland and overseas.