A new Park’nPay Accessibility Portal is helping motorists with disabilities find accessible parking across Sydney streets and carparks. The web-based platform allows drivers to search for hundreds of accessible spots at their desired location, filter for the time and day the space is needed, and by parking type. The program already covers 383 accessible parking spots across four Sydney councils and will cover roughly 3600 accessible parking spots across 30 Sydney Metro councils when completed.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the NSW Government wanted to offer people with mobility parking permits an easy way to find parking before they leave their driveways. “It can often be time-consuming for drivers with a disability to find a suitable parking space, especially if they are unfamiliar with the area they are travelling to,” he said. “Motorists will be able to use the Accessibility Portal to find a spot that best suits their needs, the number of accessible spaces at a location, get directions and real-time availability for accessible spaces.”
The Accessibility Portal provides users with a wheelchair icon to indicate an accessibility bay, with the spot being green if it is available to use or red if occupied. Real-time parking data will come online in the app as each council area is onboarded and will be completed in 2023. The Park’nPay app also includes an accessibility mode option where customers with a mobile parking permit can customise their experience to search for accessible parking, start a parking session, and receive notifications.
Vice President of Google Cloud – Australia and New Zealand Alister Dias said the NSW Government and Google shared a vision for a strong and inclusive digital future for all Australians. “Working closely with the Department of Customer Service and Physical Disability Council, Google Cloud is optimising the Park’nPay experience by analysing parking sensor data to provide real-time parking and travel information, ensuring motorists with disabilities can better plan trips and park with ease,” Mr Dias said.
Physical Disability Council NSW CEO Serena Ovens said, “Any information that assists people with mobility needs to better understand their parking options is welcomed. PDCN applaud Google’s involvement in the Park’nPay app as an important innovation that supports the inclusion of the disability community.”
The Accessibility Portal is a joint initiative between the NSW Government, Google and the Physical Disability Council of NSW. Minister Dominello said the new initiative was a great example of using technology to be more inclusive. “Instead of spending time and wasting petrol driving around looking for an accessible park, we have an innovative solution which gets drivers where they need to go,” he said.
The Accessibility Portal has been praised for its contribution to improving the accessibility of services for people with disabilities. It is expected that the Portal will play a pivotal role in helping deliver improved outcomes, making it easier for people to plan a journey and find a parking spot.
Click here for more on the Accessibility Portal.
