More Than One in Four Brisbane Council Parking Spots Now Pay by App Only

More than one in four paid parking spaces managed by the Brisbane City Council can now only be paid for through a third-party mobile application. According to figures reported by ABC News and released by the council, roughly 2,483 of the approximately 9,000 metered parking spaces within Brisbane are situated in pay-by-app-only zones. This shift makes Brisbane the only major city in Australia where motorists can be required to download an app to secure council parking.

The transition away from physical infrastructure has become increasingly evident in inner-city suburbs and near major medical facilities. For example, in the inner-north suburb of Auchenflower, near the Wesley Hospital, about 60 per cent of paid parking spots are now app-only. Local resident Elissa Ferguson told ABC News that visitors frequently experience confusion when attempting to navigate the disappearing parking meters.

Ms Ferguson recounted assisting an elderly woman visiting the Wesley Hospital who was visibly distressed and unsure how to complete the payment. After stopping to help, Ms Ferguson discovered the visitor had previously downloaded the parking application but could not access her account because she had forgotten her password and could not check her email on her phone. Ultimately, Ms Ferguson had to direct the visitor toward a traditional parking meter located up a steep nearby street. She noted that many visitors travel from regional areas like Toowoomba and Boonah, making it unreasonable to require a one-off software download for a brief hospital visit.

Other residents have raised concerns regarding the user experience and potential security vulnerabilities associated with meter-less parking. In Newstead, retiree Margaret McCormack described struggling with public QR codes while running late for an appointment. She expressed frustration with the digital setup and noted anxieties regarding the cyber security risks of scanning public QR codes.

Community advocates and local political figures have criticized the expansion of digital-only parking zones, arguing that the policy negatively impacts accessibility. Seal Chong Wah, the Greens Councillor for Paddington Ward—which encompasses areas with high concentrations of app-only parking—stated that parking applications create unnecessary barriers for vulnerable demographics, including senior citizens and low-income earners. Councillor Chong Wah asserted that removing physical infrastructure serves primarily to cut costs at the expense of public access.

Echoing these concerns, Patricia Sparrow, the chief executive officer of Council on the Ageing Australia, highlighted a broader societal trend toward digital-only practices. Ms Sparrow explained that many older individuals prefer traditional methods and argued that the issue of digital exclusion will persist across generations. She emphasized that local governments must serve their entire resident base by ensuring services remain physically accessible, stating that while digital tools are evolving, services should not be restricted to digital-only formats.

Despite the growing number of app-only zones, Brisbane City Council maintains that physical infrastructure will remain part of the city's parking network. A council spokesperson told ABC News that there are "no plans to remove all parking meters in Brisbane." The council confirmed it will continue operating physical meters alongside its two designated parking payment providers, CellOPark and PayStay. Additionally, the council noted that motorists can settle parking payments via telephone or online through the respective provider websites as alternative payment methods.