How Pay and Display works
Pay and Display information
Our pay and display machines sell parking time in multiples of 30 minutes. The minimum purchase period is 30 minutes, up to a maximum of 8 hours (except in Zone A, where the maximum is either 2 hours or 4 hours).
In most zones, the charge is 80p per 30 minutes (£1.60 per hour). In Zones F & S, the charge increases to £1.00 per 30 minutes (£2.00 per hour) after the first 4 hours. In Zone A, the charge is £1.20 per 30 minutes (£2.40 per hour). A pay and display ticket should be bought at the time of parking, not in advance.
Please note - from 7th April 2008 our pay and display charge will be increasing. From this date the charge will be 90p per 30 minutes (£1.80 per hour) in all zones except Zone A which will remain unchanged. In Zones F and S the charge will increase to £1.10 per 30 minutes (£2.20 per hour) after the first 4 hours.
There are a few bays where the restrictions differ. When in Zones F, S, G or U, make sure that the bay in which you are parked is not a "short stay" bay if you are planning to stay for longer than 1 hour. This affects resident and business permit holders as well as visitors who pay & display. Short stay bays are clearly signposted.
In Zone A, the maximum stay for pay and display parking is either 2 hours or 4 hours, depending on the location - the relevant maximum stay is clearly shown on the signs next to the parking bays. The 2 and 4 hour maximum stay in Zone A does not apply to resident or business permit holders, or to residents' visitors who use a Zone A SMART Visitor Permit.
Once you have bought a pay and display ticket, you can park anywhere within the zone shown on the ticket until the expiry time shown on the ticket. You can also drive your car from place to place within that zone, as long as you don't venture into the wrong kind of bay. There are signs which indicate the boundaries between different zones. If you do need to park in a different zone, you will need to buy a ticket for that zone from a machine within that zone.
The pay and display machine label shows the times when parking controls apply. In some zones, these times are also shown on the signs next to the parking bays. Some zones operate from Monday to Friday, others operate Monday to Saturday.
If you find a machine that is faulty or has been vandalised, please let us know. Make a note of the number or location of the machine and the problem, and phone us on (020) 7371 5678 or report a fault using the Smarter Borough on-line Service Request Form. Please tick the box marked 'Other' and fill in the relevant details). In order to buy your ticket, walk to any other working machine in the same zone.
How our Pay and Display charges compare with other boroughs.
