Parking app a hit with Napier drivers

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Napier residents and visitors can now put away their wallets, and use their phones to pay for parking.

The Kashin service, a phone app which debits from a pre-loaded credit card, had been warmly received during a trial in three pay and display parking areas, and will be rolled out across the city.

Napier City Council Director City Strategy Richard Munneke said people loved the fact they could use the maps on their phone, and GPS to find a car park location and pay without using coins.

"There's no need to display a receipt on your car dash, and the app provides reminders about how long you have been parked. You only pay for the time you use," he said.

The free-to-download app had been operational on an 18-month trial basis. Feedback from the public was so positive, Mr Munneke said, that a decision was made to roll it out across every pay and display box in the city.

"We now have 68 machines operating Kashin within Napier and Taradale. Each site is identified with a unique code and the system is simple to use," Mr Munneke said.

"The best thing about it is the ease. On a wet day you can sit in your car to use the app and pay for your parking " no getting wet standing at a machine. It's a great addition to our range of parking services."

The app can be used in other metro areas such as Auckland and Hamilton. The online credit card payment is secure and operated by Advam.