Thanks to Mike Watson who is one of Dorset’s volunteer Digital Champions, organised from County Hall, for sending us the following information which is sure to be of help to many people.
“I was on duty in the foyer of Dorchester Library last Wednesday, and I watched a couple of folks struggle to pay for their parking in the Old Market Car Park.
Firstly they couldn’t use the machine, and waited until a passer-by helped them. Then they found that they didn’t have the correct coins, and the woman walked off into town, presumably to buy something to collect some change. The man stood by their car, ready to explain their situation to the Car Park Attendant. Eventually the woman returned, and, with the help of another passer-by, they managed to buy a car park ticket.
To me this was an instant example of how smartphones can be of genuine practical use in the modern world. The free App called JustPark works right across Dorset, in all the council car parks. With the right settings the App will know where you are and will buy as much parking as you choose. There is no printed ticket (better for the environment) and the car park attendant knows at once which cars are using JustPark, so it is safe.
The parking fee charged to the user is exactly the same as the ticket machine, and the App will send you a reminder before your ticket expires and allow you to buy more parking. You can even buy just 20 minutes parking, which I think is not possible via the machine.
And you can do all of this whilst sitting in your car, out of the rain, without searching for the right coins.
If you use Railway Station car parks then you need the free App called RingGo, which works in the same way as JustPark.
Never mind social media and so on – this is really useful technology, at no extra cost to the consumer.
A Dorset Digital Champion can help you download and set up JustPark and RingGo. Call 01305 221048 to either accomplish this over the phone or to make a free face-to-face appointment in your local library.“
See also this article: Free digital advice service expands across Dorset
Picture: Dorset Digital Champion, Mike Watson
