IJmuider Courant, 19 Sept 2013: 'New parking bollards will cost four tonnes'

"The municipality of Beverwijk will replace almost all parking meters. Some parking bollards will remain, but will be modified to allow PIN payments.

The College of B & W has decided to allocate 400,000 euros for wholesale replacement. Only the parking bollards around the Bazaar and three bollards in the city centre will remain, the rest will be replaced.

(...) Both the new parking meters and those that will remain must soon be suitable for PIN payments and digital enforcement. Drawing a ticket and placing it behind the windscreen will soon no longer be necessary; while paying, only the license plate need be entered.

Chipknip

Now, payments can be made by chip card, which will be abolished. The bollards will be made suitable for paying by debit card. It will also be possible to pay with debit cards. To this end, however, the parking meters must be equipped with card readers.

Incidentally, the municipality has been offering mobile phone parking for some time. This eliminates the need to use the parking bollards. Via a text message or an app on a smartphone, payments can be made directly via services such as Parkeeronline and Yellowbrick.

Many municipalities are currently struggling with the question of which system to introduce. Hoorn, for example, also wants to switch to license plate parking where motorists have to enter their license plate number on the parking meter when paying. Inspectors can then easily check whether someone has paid. Placing a ticket behind the window is no longer necessary.

In Amsterdam, on the other hand, where license plate parking was recently introduced citywide, the method is controversial. The local VVD has raised questions about it. This after the Privacy First Foundation called on citizens to object because motorists have a right to 'free and anonymous' driving."

Source: IJmuider Courant, 19 September 2013.