Wellington City Council in New Zealand is installing 3,500 parking sensors in the CBD following successful experimentation in Blair and Allen streets in 2015.

These sensors will be installed in four phases.

Under phase 1, around 900 sensors were installed on the Golden Mile and the surrounding area.

"No more searching for coins, no receipt needed and you pay only for your actual parking time."

Drivers in this area will be able to pay with the new Pay by Space parking system.

Wellington City Council parking services manager Michelle Riwai was quoted by Scoop.co.nz as saying: “You just enter the parking space number at the parking machine, pay for the time you need and it’s done.

"You don’t need to return to your vehicle to display a receipt.

"Parking sensors also mean that we can implement more convenient ways to pay,” she says.

“One way is the phone app PayMyPark, you can set up expiry notifications and extend your time remotely.

"No more searching for coins, no receipt needed and you pay only for your actual parking time,” says Michelle.

The app can be downloaded for iPhone or Android users or on smart devices. More apps and features may become available in the future.

The Pay by Space system eliminates the need for printed receipts.

The parking sensors are deployed in the ground of each parking space and detect the exact time a vehicle enters and leaves a parking space.

This technology is being rolled out by Smart Parking Limited.

Wellington City Council COO Greg Orchard was quoted by the website as saying: “The new system builds on our Smart Capital approach towards making transport choices easier.

"Having real-time information about parking space use is one step to understanding parking trends in the city.”

The data derived from use of parking spaces will help the council to plan in order to meet future parking requirements.