Prepaid vouchers touted as low-tech alternative to digital payments for parking

After hearing feedback about the loss of coin-operated parking meters, Regina’s executive committee is giving its support to a low-tech option for parking payment.

An amendment brought forward to the committee Wednesday by Mayor Chad Bachynski proposed prepaid voucher booklets, to be sold at City Hall.

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“It was really a conversation with administration to highlight the gap that was there,” Bachynski told reporters, “and try to come up with something that was easy to implement, and a solution that really covered the bases of folks that may not have a phone or may not have a credit card available, and gives them another option.”

He expected details to be included when council is asked to give final approval to the plan and bylaw changes at its March 11 meeting.

“It was speed that was able to allow us to kind of come to that conclusion, and frankly, it does hit a couple other marks,” Bachynski said. “I know some of the feedback that I heard and others heard was around technology can be challenging. A kiosk is another form of technology that has its own challenges at times. So it really gives another kind of non technological solution for folks who may not be comfortable yet.”

The amendment set out that the vouchers would be sold in booklets of five, at a price of $13.75.

Hourly rate increase to be included in council vote

Council will also be asked to approve a parking rate increase to take effect April 1. The increase was included in budget deliberations, along with the removal of meters.

If passed, the hourly rate would increase by 50 cents to $2.50, plus the 25-cent service charge in the app.

The price for the prepaid vouchers works out the same cost per hour.

But the committee is also recommending a suggestion from the administration to create a lower rate zone, for the currently-metered areas south of Victoria Avenue and east of Broad Street.

The hourly rate for those areas would be $1.50 (plus the 25-cent service charge).

The goal is to encourage people to park in areas with less demand and then walk to their downtown destination, with the hope that revenue would work out the same.

“It’s just that creative thinking to try and get more folks downtown, give different options for parking for folks that are able to, in different areas,” Bachynski said.

Ticket fines would also increase by $10, and the price for temporary street use permits would go up 50 per cent.