Motorists can take to their phones to pay for a parking spot in Vernon.
Starting Thursday, the city will begin rolling out a system that allows downtown customers to pay for parking using their smartphones, with full implementation planned for Oct. 26.
"Vernon will be using the PayByPhone system, which allows an app on an Apple or Android phone to link to a parking location, and an allowance to pay by credit card for on and off-street locations," said Tanya Laing Gahr, the city's communications officer.
"These locations are noted on the PayByPhone decals on all parking equipment and by additional signage in parking lots. Any parking within the on-street location zones will continue, even if drivers move from one meter to another."
Because of the different rates and allowable parking terms, drivers may not move from a parking lot to the street or from the street to a parking lot without entering a new transaction.
The PayByPhone system also has the capability of reminding a client via text or e-mail that their time is expiring, and allows the user to top up parking to the maximum time allowed for that location.
Users can register for a PayByPhone account at www.PayByPhone.com.
The Downtown Vernon Association introduced the idea of a pay-by-phone system to council to encourage additional forms of payment at city facilities.
There is a service charge of 25 cents to fund the provision of services.