Council introduces simpler way to pay for parking

Drivers will soon have an easier way to pay for car parking under a new ‘pay by plate’ technology being adopted in select areas of the CBD and north Cairns.

Pay by plate technology will be rolled out at off-street car parks and select on-street parking machines from 13 November.

Under the ticketless system, drivers will enter their vehicle licence plate number at the parking machine, choose how long they will park, pay using coins or credit card, then simply go about their business. There’s no ‘ticket’ so no need to return to their vehicle.

Parking fees, fines and time limits remain unchanged.

Drivers can also continue to use the Easy Park app to conveniently pay for the exact parking period straight from their phone.

Council is currently retrofitting existing pay and display machines with the new technology at various locations across the CBD and Cairns North including kerbside parking, and the Hartley Street, Bunda Street, Esplanade Hospital and Old Library car parks.

Where there is a mix of ‘pay and display’ machines and ‘pay by plate’ machines in an area, drivers can choose which method they prefer.

For more information on ‘pay by plate’, visit cairns.qld.gov.au/water-waste-roads/parking