A new parking system introduced this past week at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George is faster, more efficient and easier to use, according to Impark officials.
"The new meters, conveniently located inside the front doors, as well as the dental entrance of the main Prince George campus building, are now in operation," said Impark operations manager Jessie Quiring. "Users will no longer have to display a receipt in their vehicle."
Consumers will have three options when it comes to paying for parking at any of Impark's five lots at CNC. They can pay at a pay station using their licence plate number, pay by phone or online with an e-permit.
For the pay-by-licence plate option, consumers note their vehicle licence plate, go to any pay station on site, enter their plate number and pay for the time required. There is no need to return to the vehicle to display the receipt.
"A really easy way to remember your plate number is to take a photo of it with your phone or write it down so it's easily accessible to you," said CNC spokesperson Andrea Johnson. "Short-term parking, capped at $2, is still available as users can pay inside using their licence plate and stall number."
Pay stations are also available at the P.G. Tech building, the John Brink Trades and Technology Centre and the Nicholson trades campus.
For the pay-by-phone option, users can download Impark's free App (Pay by Phone Parking) on their iPhones, Androids and Blackberries, use the mobile web (m.paybyphone.com) or call the number on the meter from any phone. This feature will allow payment for parking right over the phone.
"This is a really great feature as pay-by-phone users will receive text message reminders and have the ability to add more time from anywhere without having to rush back to the meter," said Johnson.
The e-permit option is a web-based system that allows users to purchase a monthly or a semester parking permit online at a discount rate over the daily rate.
"We're really happy that rates are not increasing. It still only costs $2.25 to park at the college for a 24-hour period," said Johnson.
Users can purchase a permit online for a one-week period (seven days) for $10; a one-month period for $36.75; a semester (September - December; January - April) for $132.30 (which includes a 10% discount); or a one-year pass for $396.90, which includes a 10% discount. CNC employees will still have the option to purchase a hanging pass at the Impark office on campus.
"The new e-permit option, which is already in use at many Impark lots such as the University Hospital of Northern B.C., will replace the current online system," said Quiring. "We feel that the new system will make the parking process so much easier for CNC users."
