The Transport Department (TD) said today (January 18) that, as one of the smart mobility initiatives, the Government will install new on-street parking meters in phases to replace the existing ones.
The new parking meters have three major functions and features, including:
(i) supporting payment of parking fees through multiple means including Octopus; contactless credit cards, i.e. Visa payWave, MasterCard Contactless and UnionPay QuickPass; the Faster Payment System; AlipayHK; WeChat Pay; and Union QR;
(ii) supporting on-site and remote payment of parking fees through a new mobile application, "HKeMeter". "HKeMeter" will support iOS and Android mobile devices, which is available for free download in the relevant app stores; and
(iii) being equipped with sensors to detect whether a parking space is occupied, and providing real-time information to assist motorists in finding vacant parking spaces and thereby reduce the time required by vehicles for locating parking spaces as well as the amount of circulating traffic.
The sensors in the new parking meters make use of the technology of millimetre wave radar to detect whether roadside parking spaces are occupied. The real-time information will be disseminated through "HKeMeter", the mobile and web versions of "HKeMobility" and the Public Sector Information Portal (data.gov.hk) to assist motorists in finding vacant parking spaces. The sensors are only capable of detecting the occupancy of parking spaces, and will not collect any personal information, details of vehicle types or vehicle registration numbers.
The TD has set up a dedicated webpage for the new parking meters (www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/parking/parking_meters/npm/index.html) and uploaded videos to introduce how to use the new parking meters, settle parking fees through various payment means and make remote payment of parking fees, to help motorists to better understand and be familiar with the operation of the new parking meters. Upon the commissioning of the new parking meters, the management contractor engaged by the TD will launch a 24-hour customer service hotline at 2332 3700 for handling public enquiries. The hotline number will be displayed on the traffic signs of the metered parking spaces with the new parking meters installed.
At present, there are about 18 000 metered parking spaces in Hong Kong with about 9 800 parking meters installed. These parking meters have been put into service since 2003/04 and, with their serviceable life expiring soon, they need to be replaced.
Starting from last December, the TD has installed 44 new parking meters at three locations in Central, Tuen Mun and Clear Water Bay so as to conduct the final stage of on-site tests. These new parking meters will be put into operation with effect from January 20. The TD will also install about 12 000 new parking meters in phases from the same date, and it is anticipated that replacement of all existing parking meters will be completed by the first half of 2022. The parking fees, operating periods, longest parking periods for each transaction and the types of vehicles of the existing metered parking spaces will in general remain unchanged.
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