Charges for parking a car in Liverpool could be set according to the emissions of the vehicle as the city council gets set to install 80 new cashless parking machines. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool City Council is set to install 80 new parking machines across the city which have the capacity to set charges according to emissions.
These new machines will also be cashless and will be contactless-enabled units that support card and mobile transactions only. But it is the proposal to one day charge motorists according to the emissions of their vehicles which is most eye-catching.
A report recommending the purchases of the new machines will be considered by the city council’s cabinet on Tuesday, September 16. If approved the authority will launch a competitive tender for the machines followed by phased installation and staff training.
With the city’s commitment to cleaner air and net zero emissions these new machines now offer the capacity for emission-based charging and DVLA integration.
“This is a future aspiration but something that should be incorporated into a machine now for future approval,” says the report.
Liverpool currently operates around 230 parking payment machines, of which approximately 85% have exceeded their 15-year design life.
While all machines accept cash and a portion process card payments, nearly a third of parking income still arrives in coins and notes, even as digital transactions continue to grow.
A recent rollout in the city of the National Parking Platform enables pay-by-phone convenience at every on-street and off-street location, but physical payment points remain vital in key areas.
An analysis has identified sites where cash usage persists and pinpointed obsolete machines that can be removed without disrupting motorists. This means that 150 machines will remain accepting cash payments.
Cllr Dan Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said: “Modernising our parking infrastructure is about delivering greater convenience and safety for everyone.
“Going fully cashless in targeted locations will cut maintenance costs, reduce the risks of handling cash, and free up our skilled teams to focus on enforcement and resident support.
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“It’s important to note that there will still be options to pay by cash where people need to do so. 150 machines will still be able to take cash payments.
“But clearly this is something that is significantly declining, and switching to contactless or app payment has huge benefits in cost savings for the council.”