Blaby Car Parks Switch to Paperless Parking Machines

Drivers Will No Longer Need Paper Tickets at Five Blaby Car Parks

Blaby Car Parks Switch to Paperless Parking Machines Drivers using five car parks in Blaby and Narborough will soon use paperless parking machines, with older ticket machines being replaced by new registration-based systems. The new machines are due to be introduced on 29 and 30 September, according to Blaby District Council, meaning drivers will no longer need to return to their vehicles to display a paper parking ticket. How will the new paperless parking system work? Drivers will enter their vehicle registration number on a touchscreen when paying for parking. Parking officers will then use a handheld device to check whether a parking session has been purchased for the vehicle, rather than checking for a paper ticket displayed inside the car. The new machines will replace older equipment at Enderby Road and Johns Court car parks in Blaby, along with Leicester Road, Weavers Court and The Station car parks in Narborough. A similar paperless machine was previously installed at Bouskell Park car park during renovation work in 2024. Parking prices will remain unchanged Blaby District Council said parking prices will not change as part of the rollout. Cash and contactless card payments will continue to be available through the new machines, while PayByPhone will also remain an option at all of the affected car parks. Drivers will also be able to receive digital parking receipts by text message or email. Blue Badge holders will continue to be able to park free for three hours in all district council-owned car parks. Drivers will need to enter the correct registration The move means the vehicle registration entered at the machine will become important when paying for parking. Because parking officers will use handheld devices to check whether a vehicle has a valid parking session, drivers will need to make sure the correct registration has been entered when purchasing their parking. The council said machines will be replaced one at a time, so car parks with more than one machine will continue to have a payment option available during the changeover. Why is Blaby introducing paperless parking? The council said the new system supports its commitment to reducing paper waste and lowering carbon emissions. It also expects the machines to reduce the risk of downtime caused by paper jams, which can prevent drivers from buying parking tickets when older machines develop problems. Mike Shirley, Blaby District Council portfolio holder for environmental services and car parks, said the new machines would provide a “much smoother experience” for customers. For drivers, the main change is that there will be no physical ticket to return to the vehicle and display after payment. The rollout also reflects the growing use of registration-based parking systems, where enforcement officers can check payment electronically rather than relying on paper tickets.