October 2006
Westminster City Council Launches Verrus Service

The 2nd of October 2006 saw the introduction of Verrus’ mobile phone payment service in two busy areas of the City of Westminster. The introduction of the service marks the City’s first steps towards the introduction of widespread cashless payment for parking.

Covering around 1000 spaces in the West End and Soho area and 500 spaces in Harrow Road and Queens Park, the service will initially run alongside other payment options, namely, pay and display and meters.

However, in December the Council will take the innovative step of removing all of the 440 single head meters in the West End and Soho, making Pay By Phone the only method of payment in these spaces.

New CHIP and PIN pay and display machines will replace other ageing equipment, giving motorists the option to either pay by phone or with credit/debit cards in the machines.

It is believed that this is the first time that any local authority has introduced a totally cashless payment parking environment.
Verrus has introduced a number of new service features for this provision which have been extended to all of its client base. The sign up process has been streamlined and other improvements have also been introduced for the user. A feature that is unique to Westminster is the ability in the short term, for motorists to sign up over the phone by speaking to a customer services operative. Users who prefer to speak to someone in person will have the option within the automated system of being put through directly to customer services.

Verrus has also provided Westminster with a white labelled website. Reflecting the City Council’s prominent branding, users can register on line and access their account to change details, add vehicles, opt in and out of certain services and print off receipts.
Enforcement will be carried out using DAP hand held units and Verrus has trained over 200 NCP Parking Attendants (PAs) on the use of its web based enforcement module which shows the PA the vehicle registration numbers of all valid vehicles parked on the system in a given location.

Commenting, Robin Bevan, CEO for Verrus UK Ltd said “The launch of our service in Westminster represents a landmark for Verrus – the first time that any phone parking service has been introduced in the UK as the only form of payment. This has exciting implications for parking in the future.”

Alistair Gilchrist, Head of Parking Services in Westminster said I can’t think of a better place to test the application of new technology that will really make a difference to customers than the heart of London. In Westminster we see the greatest diversity of parking customers and needs – both from visitors and the businesses that cater for them. By adding Pay by Phone to our payment options we are responding to the needs of our customers for convenient, coin free, safe, secure and easy parking payment methods.”

If successful, pay by phone will be considered for extension across the whole of the borough.