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Parking in the centre of Yecla is going digital with a new generation of meters and a mobile app taking over the town's blue zone, or ORA. Drivers will be able to pay only for the time they use, extend their stay without going back to the car and handle a range of other tasks from their phones, which the Town Council hopes will keep vehicles moving and make it easier to reach shops and services.

 

Police councillor Pedro Lorenzo and Local Police chief inspector Pascual Ibáñez presented the new on-street parking contract, which has been awarded to Continental Parking SL for five years at €63,000 a year. The old equipment is being replaced by digital meters and the Copark app, and the initial budget for the tender stood at €228,643.39.

 

The changes come as the town's vehicle fleet nears 30,000, which the council argued made the renewal necessary. In total the blue zone has just over 600 spaces, roughly the same number as under the previous contract from 2013, and each one is expected to be used by around three vehicles a day, meaning between 1,800 and 3,000 vehicles daily.

 

According to Mr Lorenzo, the aim is for regulated parking to help people reach the centre rather than be somewhere cars stay for hours, so anyone shopping or running an errand can find a space.

 

Some spaces have been moved as part of the update, with changes on San Pascual, Historiador Miguel Ortuño, Juan Ortuño and Colón streets. The council explained that this roughly makes up for spaces lost to redevelopment work in the centre and puts the focus on streets with plenty of shops and businesses.

 

The new meters take coins, cards and contactless payments, while the Copark app lets drivers pay from their phones. Parking is linked to the vehicle's number plate, so there's no need for a ticket on the windscreen, and the app also allows people to reserve, extend or cancel parking and manage certain incidents or fines.

 

Chief Inspector Ibáñez said the system "will make it easier, more efficient and save us time using the blue zone".

 

Drivers won't be paying more, as blue zone prices and the resident's permit stay frozen. The contract also includes an in-person service and extended parking for certain professional and business groups, such as construction services and shops, while three free green zones with time limits already offer around 80 more spaces. The council's parking ordinance has also been reviewed to fit the new contract.

 

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Images: Ayuntamiento de Yecla