Cork's pay-parking machines to make way for app-enabled tech

A senior county council official has given an update on the roll-out of a parking app across towns to allow motorists to pay via their mobile phones.

Niall Healy said that the local authority is rolling out the Park Magic app throughout all towns that have pay parking.

The council chose Cobh as the pilot town for the roll-out in 2024, because of the high volume of tourists that visit it.

Mr Healy said that during the 12 months of its operation, 11% of all parking payment transactions were made via the app.

The same system is also now up and running in Fermoy, Kinsale, and Youghal.

Mallow will be next to get the payment facility and it will be introduced before the end of March, or possibly earlier.

The final two towns in the county to be connected to the technology, Macroom and Bandon, are expected to go operational before the end of the summer.

The council still provides a number of parking meters that can take both cash and credit-card payments.

In conjunction with the roll-out of the app, the council is streamlining the number of parking machines in towns and introducing dual-payment parking machines.

Mr Healy said: “With the app, it allows a reduction in the overall number of parking machines in towns. Of the 131 parking machines in towns throughout the county, 32 are currently dual machines, with an additional 19 dual machines to be installed in towns over the coming months.

“Another 13 or so (old) machines will be removed from operation.”

He provided the updated roll-out information following a request from Mallow-based Fianna Fáil councillor Gearoid Murphy.

Mr Murphy said he welcomed the news that the app is coming to his hometown shortly, but pointed out that it had been promised there for last year.

“This is not about having a cashless society. It is just giving people a choice,” Mr Murphy said.

Fermoy-based Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said the launch of the app there “has been working very successfully”.

However, Independent councillor Alan Coleman said the council should postpone the launch of the app in Bandon, because it could cause confusion as new parking bylaws are being trialled there for six months.