New cash, card and app payment machines up and running in Boston council-run car parks

Published on 16 November 2023

New, more reliable, secure and efficient car parking payment machines have now been installed across 21 different council-run car parks in Boston, following a significant investment by Boston Borough Council.

The new machines are designed to accept contactless and chip-and-pin card payment, as well as the existing options of cash and online app.

Works to install the new machines got underway at the start of the month, with 25 out of 26 successfully installed and operational.

The power supply at Victoria Place car park has had some technical issues that are currently undergoing a fix. Parking in this car park will be temporarily free whilst the payment machine is out of service, but charges will be reintroduced once the new payment machine is operational.

As part of the change users are now required to enter their vehicle registration number to purchase a ticket, before choosing their duration of stay and then having the new option of paying via card or Apply Pay, as well as the previous methods.

The machines will be brightly lit to make them easy to use and connect wirelessly to offer drivers the fastest possible transactions. They are also made from high security steel with anti-graffiti coating to reduce the risk of vandalism against them.

The Council also announced earlier this month that there would be free parking in their off-street car parks from 4pm on Thursday 23 November until 4pm on Sunday 26 November, continuing all day across four Saturdays in December (2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd), to help alleviate the stress of holiday shopping and encourage people to explore the festive offerings in the heart of the town.

The free parking will not apply to any on-street parking.

Councillor Sandeep Ghosh, Boston Borough Council portfolio holder for finance, said: "I am delighted that we have completed the installation of these new machines, that will provide users with a quicker, simpler and less restrictive experience when parking in Boston.

"With cards and phones increasingly becoming the most popular ways to pay, I hope these upgrades can take some of the stress out of parking for people so they can instead focus on enjoying their visit to Boston.

"Our investment into this project is just one part of our ongoing goals to improve the town centre, as shown through our Town Deals and Levelling Up projects, and ensuring that visitors can park easily and securely is a key part to these improvements.

"I am also delighted to offer full day free parking on Christmas festival from 23rd of November, 4pm, to 26th of November, 4pm, and the first 4 Saturdays in the month of December all day."