Dubai: Motorists in Dubai will be able to pay parking fees via their mobile phones, Gulf News has learnt.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will introduce the new service called 'mPark' next month.

Then motorists will be able to pay the fees in paid parking zones by simply sending an SMS.

The service was initially scheduled to be launched in September last year but it was delayed due to technical reasons.

"We hope to launch the service in the first week of May," said an official at the RTA. The official launch and more details about the service will be announced soon.

He said the aim of the mPark service is to provide more options to motorists.

Currently, parking fees can be paid with coins and parking cards.

The best thing about the mPark system is that a person can extend the parking time from any location if he is unable to get to his vehicle before his paid parking time expires.

The system is easy to use. A user must check the parking zone code registered in the payment machine in the paid parking zone. Then send an SMS to the number 7275 (corresponding to the word PARK) including vehicle number plate, parking zone code, and the required parking period. The money is deducted from the mobile phone balance.

The control room will send an SMS confirming the payment and automatically transmit the number plate of the vehicle to the parking warden stating that the parking fee chargeable to a particular vehicle has been paid. A reminder SMS will be sent to the user 10 minutes before the expiry of the paid period.

The mPark system will be implemented in phases. It will start on Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai Media City and Internet City on May 3 followed by Bur Dubai in August and in Deira by October. Dubai currently has more than 75,000 paid parking areas.

Options: Two types of cards

There are various options to pay for parking in paid parking zones. In addition to using coins, a motorist can also use various types of pre-paid cards and seasonal cards.

One type of parking card is for a shorter periods and is available in denominations of Dh30, Dh50 and Dh100. They can be used at parking meters, instead of coins, to get parking tickets. A card worth Dh100 is available for Dh85.

Dh50 cards are sold for Dh43 and a Dh30 card can be obtained for Dh26. Seasonal cards are available for three, six and 12 months ranging from Dh450 to Dh2,500. These cards are fixed to the windscreen. They can be used to park cars round-the-clock without getting tickets from parking meters.

Cards of Category A can be used to park cars anywhere in Dubai and costs Dh700 for three months, Dh1,300 for six months and Dh2,500 for one year.

Cards of category B can be used only in large parking lots and cost Dh450, Dh800 and Dh1,500 respectively.