The days of rummaging through your car for spare change and plugging parking meters may soon be long gone for some people.
Torontonians are one step closer to a system that would allow them to use a cellphone to pay for a public parking spot instead of the traditional method.
City council has requested a feasibility report on the proposal, which has been studied by the Toronto Parking Authority for about a year.
Coun. Karen Stintz requested the report in a motion at this week's city council meeting.
Proponents say the system is convenient because people can dial a phone number and add more parking time, instead of having to run outside and plug a meter. They say it may cut down on parking fines.
The system is already available in cities around the world, including Vancouver, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
If the system is approved, people would still have the option of paying at meters at the curb.
How it works
In Vancouver, for example, people can call a phone number or use a smartphone app to pay for parking.
Users pay for the exact number of minutes they need and there is no transaction fee, although meters are limited to two hours during business hours.
To extend hours, people can call back or use the same smartphone app. A text message is sent to the phone seven minutes before the expiry of the parking session.
For motorcycle or electric scooter parking, people can get a discount of up to 75 per cent off when they pay by phone.
