Motorists will be able to pay for parking on their phones from October, instead of using coupons, when the mobile app Parking.sg becomes available for download. The app - developed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Housing Board and GovTech - will replace the use of paper coupons in about 1,150 carparks, including kerbside parking spaces. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the National Day Rally yesterday, said, "It will save motorists a lot of unnecessary parking hassles."

Making people's lives more convenient by taking full advantage of technology is a key strategic goal of Singapore's Smart Nation push, he added. Payment through the app will be cashless, and motorists just need to key in their vehicle number, select the carpark and indicate their intended parking duration.

Charges will also be calculated on a per-minute basis, with refunds given if motorists park for a shorter period than they initially intended to. With the paper coupon system, motorists pay at least 60 cents for 30-minute blocks, and those who park for a shorter time do not get to pay less. The app also makes it more convenient for those who need to extend their parking sessions, as this can be done remotely. Currently, motorists have to go back to their cars to add more coupons if they need to park for a longer period, or risk being fined.

Mr. Lee noted that motorists here have been tearing out parking coupons for the past 40 years, even though Singapore boasts a world-class Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system and many Singaporeans are savvy with smartphones. A month-long trial for Parking.sg took place in May and involved 2,300 public officers and nearly 100 public carparks. Since then, the app has been upgraded to include a new alert feature to warn users before their parking session expires.

Sales executive W.K. Heng, 43, said he likes the new app and its alert feature, saying, "I don't have to rush back to the car any more to add coupons." Paper parking coupons will still be in use when the system is rolled out in October, but will eventually be phased out. Parking.sg will pave the way for the next generation satellite ERP system, which is expected to be introduced in 2020. Satellites will monitor vehicles to calculate road usage and parking fees, and charge motorists electronically, saving on enforcement costs.