Alessandria parking reform starting 1st July: insights into the upcoming modifications
Starting July 1st, the historic city of Alessandria, Italy, is set to revolutionise its parking system with the introduction of a new digital app-based solution called DropTicket. This marks the end of the traditional "Scratch & Park" system, bringing a more convenient, dynamic, and integrated parking experience to the city.
The key features of DropTicket include a digital payment system, eliminating the need for coins or physical tickets. Users can manage their parking payments through the DropTicket app, which also offers a "Start and Stop" function, allowing drivers to begin and end their parking session at their convenience, ensuring they only pay for the minutes actually used. This flexibility was not available with the fixed-time paper slips.
Moreover, the digital system removes worries about expiration deadlines or fines from improperly displayed paper tickets, streamlining the entire parking experience. DropTicket is not just a parking app; it also serves as a multi-service platform, enabling users to buy public transport tickets and other services all within a single app.
The City of Alessandria will manage its 3,817 paid parking spaces directly, with technical support from Gestopark. The new parking meters, starting with 41 new installations in Piazza Garibaldi, Piazza della Libertà, and Piazza Ambrosoli, will accept cash payments, in addition to credit cards and debit cards.
Gestopark will provide its infrastructure network, with the new parking meters sporting a distinctive grey anthracite colour. The Urban Planning and Real Estate Office in Piazza della Libertà will assist users with any issues from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
Four smartphone apps will be available for parking payments: Easypark, Telepass, Neos Park, and MyGestopark. The old vouchers and monthly passes for parking subscriptions will no longer be valid, and new monthly parking subscriptions can be signed up for through the MyGestopark app or Easypark.
So far, only 500 people have reported their annual subscriptions to the City of Alessandria, affecting a total of 2,082 annual parking subscriptions. A minimum surcharge for monthly subscriptions signed up for through Easypark has been announced. Those affected by unused vouchers should contact Amag Mobilità.
The transition from the "Scratch & Park" system has not been without controversy. Last Friday, the name of Gestopark leaked in a press release, causing some confusion about the concessionaire for the parking service. However, the incorrect information was quickly corrected by the City Hall.
This change represents a significant upgrade from the older "Scratch & Park" method, making parking payments in Alessandria more convenient, dynamic, and integrated with other urban mobility needs.
The digital parking solution, DropTicket, extends its services beyond parking, offering users the ability to purchase public transport tickets and other services within the app, thereby integrating finance and transportation sectors. By utilizing the app's "Start and Stop" function, users can manage their parking payments more flexibly, avoiding the fixed time constraints of the traditional paper slips, and consequently, the associated fines due to expiration deadlines.
