Dorchester Dorset.com Blog

Ringo Parking Comes to Dorchester

You won’t need to scrabble around looking for change for parking the next time you visit Dorchester as the town is implementing the latest mobile pay-as-you-park technology.

Mobile phone owners will soon be able to pay for parking in the county town by dialling one number.

The new technology means that Christmas shopping in Dorchester couldn’t be easier. There is no longer a need to clock watch and should also provide a welcome boost for businesses in the recession.

Before parking up, drivers using the scheme can call a local number, type a four-digit number, select how long to park and then leave their car.

Motorists will later be sent a text message asking them if they wish to top up their parking just before their time is due to expire.

The £7,000 scheme is a joint partnership between West Dorset District Council and the Dorchester Business Improvement District (Bid) using the national Ring Go system.

New signs in car parks will be the only visible evidence of the scheme, beginning on November 20.

Bid director Phil Gordon said:

“We’d been trying to get pay-on-exit parking for some time, but part of the problem with that was that it would have cost £60,000 to £90,000 for each of the eight car parks in Dorchester.

“By comparison, pay by phone parking will cost less than £7,000 all together.”

On top of their parking, drivers using the scheme will pay a 20p charge to use Ring Go but the reminder text message sent to them – normally costing 10p – will be free.

People can register to use Ring Go in Dorchester with a credit card over the phone or online.

This is the first time pay-by-phone parking has been used in West Dorset, but it is already up and running in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Salisbury.

Mr Gordon said the pay and display system will still remain for those who don’t have a mobile phone or dislike using them.

He said:

“It’s not even as difficult as sending a text message. If you can make a call on a mobile then you’d be able to do this.

“I’d like to think that this will encourage more people to shop in Dorchester, because if they’ve ever had parking problems this should make it easier for them.

“It will be better for traders who have someone rushing out of their shop half way through buying something because they realise their parking time is up.

“Whatever you are doing when you visit Dorchester, you can carry on doing it and this should mean an end to tickets being issued to people in car parks.”

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