Press Releases

Budapest, April 1, 2011

Already more than 6 million parking tickets have been purchased with mobile telephones – announced Eme Zrt, Telenor, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Since the introduction of the service 2 years ago, subscribers of the three mobile operators can purchase parking tickets with their mobile phones in Budapest as well as in 24 other cities, at the short parking zone of Terminal 2 of the Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport - and in the MOM Park shopping mall in Budapest, as the first step of indoor MobileParking.

Since the service introduction two years ago, more than six million parking tickets have been purchased with mobile phones. The popularity of MobileParking stems from the simple and comfortable administration, as well as the continuous expansion of the scope of services. This latter is clearly evidenced by the fact that by now the service is available in 25 cities, as well as in the short term parking area in front of Terminal 2 of the Budapest International Airport and in MOM Park shopping mall – in the frame of indoor MobileParking.

Using MobileParking the parking process can be started in a cash and time saving way, the fee – including the transaction charge for the service - being deducted from the credit balance kept with the mobile operator, or the amount is charged in the monthly bill. Motorists using the service – that is not conditioned upon preliminary registration – can be assured that they pay exactly for the period spent on parking, as – over the minimal parking period – parking can be terminated at any time.

Outdoor parking can be started by sending the license plate number of the car (if necessary, along with other additional information, specified by vehicle categories) in SMS to the telephone number signaled on the parking meter, and over the minimal parking period it can be terminated any time by sending the text STOP in SMS to the same number. In case the customer knows in advance how long he intends to park at the given location, he can also send the length of the parking period in minutes in the SMS sent – bearing in mind the maximum parking period permitted in the respective parking zone. In all cases a verification SMS message is sent upon starting the parking period. Parking inspectors can check electronically via the central database of EME Zrt. if the car registered under the respective license plate number has valid parking arrangement. Each transaction is charged – over the actual parking fee – HUF 75 transaction fee, and the fee of two SMS messages, priced according to the tariff package of the customer.

In case of indoor MobileParking the parking ticket is released the usual way at the gate when entering the facility, and before departure the 6 digit ID printed on the parking ticket needs to be sent in SMS to the number shown on the parking terminal in the garage (using the appropriate prefix number, according to the operator of the customer). After this an SMS prompting verification is sent – including the parking and transaction fee – and the purchase transaction can be confirmed as specified in the message, e.g. by sending an „OK” reply. The system send a verification about the successful purchase transaction, following which the customer has 10 minutes to leave the garage. Using MobileParking, the beneficial terms of parking offered in MOM Park – e.g. movie theatre, etc,- are not available.

In the course of implementing the EU directive about offering monetary services, the law maker specified the deadline of April 30 to mobile operators to meet the compulsory legal requirements, in case they already offered services - which based on the Directive is classified as monetary service - prior to November 1, 2009. The position of Telenor, T-Mobile and Vodafone is that mobile shopping services - including mobile parking – do not fall in the category of monetary service. Accordingly, the intention of the companies involved in developing and operating the service is to offer the MobileParking service to customers the same way as before. Operators are on the opinion that there is no need to change the currently available, simple and comfortably mobile parking system – not conditioned upon any preliminary registration – and it is not necessary to replace it with a complicated process, requiring registration and personally signing a contract.

Information about applicable service fees and other conditions is available to customers on their mobile operator’s website, as well as at www.mobilparkolas.hu