NEW TECHNOLOGY: Cllr Brendan Cronin pictured next to one of the new parking machines on High Street. Photo: Michelle Crean

By Sean Moriarty

Killarney is the first town in Kerry to install 30 new high tech parking meters - at a cost of approximately €230,000 – which will transform how people pay for their parking.

30 of the most modern machines were installed around the town on Monday morning to allow customers pay with their bank cards, while the next phase will allow for payment via text message or online.

The machines also record detailed data of transactions which can help towards the town’s parking strategy into the future.

The new machines, which came into operation this week, are also fully compatible with online and text message payment technology but that part of the modernisation process will have to be put out to tender to select a suitable company to manage the payments.

“I was delighted when I was in town the other morning to see the installation of 30 modern parking machines taking place,” Councillor Brendan Cronin, who along with other councillors campaigned for the modern facilities, told the Killarney Advertiser.

“I understand these machines will provide significant data to the staff in the Municipal District which will help in the development of the towns parking strategy. The previous machines have served the town of Killarney well, but it is now time for us to move with the times to a more modern machine.

These machines, along with the development of Rock Road car park, see a significant investment in parking in Killarney town and I am now calling for the Municipal District to drive on further and to develop a tender for online and mobile phone payment options.”