Now motorists who want to park in the Central London area can do so by just waving a credit or debit card at the meter. This is an initiative by the Westminster Council to make cashless payment for transportation more prevalent not just in London, but throughout the UK.
By the beginning of next year the West End will be set up with 20 new credit card machines that require users to simply swipe their cards at in order to park. If the experiment works out well the new meter readers will be placed throughout the area of Westminster.
Southampton is also expected to introduce the new technology in the spring, with other councils following suit.
The path for the new meter technology is paved by the introduction of smartcards to the British public, which allow cheaper items such as newspapers, bus fares, and coffee to be paid for with a card instead of cash or normal credit cards.
Instead, the over four million cards do not require an identity check, unless a security check is carried out.
In the future, it is expected that all credit and debit cards will have the same technology built into them, so that they can be used as smartcards throughout the UK for parking and public transportation purposes.
Currently the Department for Transport is looking into using smartcards for more bus journeys, and also on trains. The aim of the new overhaul is to create less hassle and speed up queuing, which can delay many travellers.
