HK to Introduce Reloadable Electronic Parking Cards
Hong Kong is to launch a six- month trial scheme on paying parking fees with reloadable electronic cards as from March 25, said Peter Luk, a senior officer of the Hong Kong Transport Department Tuesday.
Apart from e-Park cards currently in use, electronic parking meters on about 700 existing parking spaces on 38 streets in Wan Chai, Happy Valley, and Causeway Bay will accept Mondex cards while those on another 700 parking spaces on 37 streets in Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei will take Visa Cash cards. At present, there are about 16,000 metered parking spaces in Hong Kong.
Luk said that motorists would no doubt find the reloadable Mondex card and Visa Cash card, which serve as an alternative for parking payment, very convenient and environmentally friendly. "If the trial goes successfully, the government will spend less in the cost by issuing less non-reloadable e-Park cards," Luk said. Motorists can add value to their cards at the Automated Teller Machines with Mondex and Visa Cash logos.
During the period from April 1998 to September 1999, all coin- operated mechanical meters were replaced by Electronic Parking Devices (EPDs). Only e-Park cards issued by the transport department were accepted by EPDs when these devices were first introduced.
The transport department will evaluate the result at the end of the trial and the performance of the two electronic cash cards will be assessed on the basis of the relative reliability of the cards, maintenance requirements, revenue security, enforcement implications and public acceptability.
Hong Kong is to launch a six- month trial scheme on paying parking fees with reloadable electronic cards as from March 25, said Peter Luk, a senior officer of the Hong Kong Transport Department Tuesday.
