Ticketing scheme extended to include car parks across the West Midlands
A one-stop ticketing scheme in the West Midlands used for buses, trams and trains has now been extended to including paying for parking.
Swift's parking app can be used at 35 car parks across the region – including 29 council-owned facilities in Dudley – as part of the rollout.
It will allow motorists to use their smartphone as an alternative to paying by card or cash, but with no surcharge for using the new service.
The scheme has been developed and is operated by Transport for West Midlands, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Councillor Kath Hartley, who chairs the WMCA’s Transport Delivery Committee and sits on Birmingham City Council, said: “As the region’s one-stop travel card Swift is proving a success and was used to make more than 50 million journeys in 2019.
"Now it can even be used to pay for parking at a growing number of places, including Dudley and the new Longbridge multi-storey car park, offering motorists better value and convenience.
"Incentives, such as free or discounted fares, can also be offered to users to give public transport a try which could help us meet the challenges of congestion, pollution and climate change.”
Features include checking opening times and charges before travelling, extending parking time remotely and electronic receipts and to date more than 2,000 people have signed up to the app. Work is ongoing with other local authorities and car park owners to join up.
Swift parking can currently be used at 29 council car parks in Dudley, four in Coventry, Bromsgrove Railway Station and Longbridge Park and Ride car park.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm with Dudley Council, said: “We had no hesitation in adopting Swift across our car parks and it has proved popular for users.
“It could also enable us to show motorists better ways to visit Dudley – especially as we are witnessing a transport revolution with the new Metro tram line under construction, a new bus interchange station and more rapid bus services on the way.”
It is hoped the move will be crucial to the region's 2041 net-zero ambitions by encouraging people to switch to more sustainable transport by introducing users to the wider range of Swift public transport products and targeting bespoke offers at motorists.
