Three apps in only a few months: “smart” parking in Varese

No coins needed. To park in the so-called “blue spaces” and in the AVT parking lots in the centre of Varese, “smarter” methods are being introduced that make paying easier and reduce the risk of pointless fines.

This is the company’s promise for the next few months: three payment methods that use apps and digital purses to make paying for parking easier.

In fact, a “smart” system already exists: since last October, Pyng, a method for paying for parking for Telepass customers, has been in operation in Milan and Gallarate, and other towns.

Of course, Pyng is reserved only for Telepass users, and for anyone who intends to become one, but it has already proven to be helpful. With Pyng, the parking time can be increased using a smartphone, or even reduced, if the parking time paid for is too long. In order to use Pyng, the special app must be downloaded onto a smartphone, and, above all, a notice must be printed out and left on the dashboard of the car, to inform anyone checking parked cars that they should check on their tablets.

”It’s just the beginning, reserved for a very specific category of users,” admitted Marco Zamberletti, an AVT director. “It’s already been used well by the people, and successfully: the first month’s takings with this tool amounted to €1000, in the second month, they had already tripled.”

Pyng is linked to the Telepass, so it is not for everyone. However, two more apps are on their way, one of which has a reloadable card (reloading is easy: by bank transfer, or with reloads from shops, etc.), and the other, an electronic purse and also using a credit card.

Like Pyng, both also allow the user to manage the payment remotely: for example, if you have to add credit, or reduce the parking time set when it is too long.

“This way, we hope to resolve the problems of paying for parking,” Zamberletti concluded. “Our wildest dream is to achieve the percentages of Copenhagen, where 70% of users pay via apps. But it’s already enough to be of greater help to some of the people of Varese.”