Brisbane City Council is preparing to go out to tender for new pay-by-app parking providers, in a bid to give city motorists more choice when paying for parking.
Pay-by-app on-street parking was introduced in Brisbane almost 10 years ago, with CellOPark Australia as the sole operator.
As the demand for digital payment options continues to grow, the Council says it is committed to delivering greater convenience and improved parking experience for residents and visitors.
Introducing multiple pay-by-app suppliers in Brisbane will deliver new and improved technology, offering motorists more choice and flexibility, said Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner.
“Brisbane is one of Australia’s fastest growing capital cities, with 4.5 million on-street parking transactions every year, and half of those paying by app,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We are going to look for providers of the best pay by app technology to make it easier and convenient for people to pay for parking.
“We want to keep costs down for Brisbane residents and paying by app means you only pay for the minutes parked instead of overfeeding metres, which are also expensive to maintain.
“Pay-by-app parking will continue to be available through the current provider while we complete this process to bring more convenience and more choice to residents paying for street parking.”
There are more than 8,350 paid on-street parking spaces in Brisbane with around 4.5 million on-street parking transactions made every year. The Council says credit card payments at parking meters declined by 18% in the past five years as more people choose to pay by app.
Currently around 50% of transactions are made using the mobile app.
Parking meters are being used less and cost approximately $1.7 million per year to maintain, so digital payments are essential for the future of parking in Brisbane, the Council said.
There are currently 1,300 parking spaces that are pay-by-app only.
CellOPark Australia will continue to provide paid parking services while Council completes the procurement process, with contracts to new providers expected in the 2025/26 financial year.
