All parking meters in Barking and Dagenham have been removed, with a cashless payment system now in place.
From Monday (February 1), people have to use the PayByPhone app to pay for parking in council-owned car parks and other locations across the borough.
The town hall says the move to cashless will help improve air quality, as parking service vehicles drive more than 30,000 miles a year to collect cash and repair machines.
PayByPhone, which replaces RingGo as the mobile payment provider, allows drivers to extend their parking from wherever they are, sends reminders when time is running out and operates in multiple languages.
People are able to buy parking sessions by cash or card at PayPoint shops around the borough if they prefer.
Councillor Margaret Mullane, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “This is a great move by the council as not only do cashless parking payment offer drivers a more convenient way of paying for parking, it also means fewer emissions from vehicles on the road that would have been required for collection and maintenance.
"This moves us a step closer to making Barking and Dagenham a healthier place to live.”
As part of the provider switch, the council has joined PayByPhone’s Meters for Trees initiative, which pledges to donate one tree to the borough and offset one tonne of carbon dioxide for every 10 parking meters removed.
Councillor Andrew Achilleos, member champion for climate change said: “The health of our residents is extremely important to us, so we’re determined to do everything in our power to ensure the quality of air in the borough is of a good standard.
“We’re determined to improve the quality of air in Barking and Dagenham and switching to PayByPhone is just one step in doing this.
“I hope this change will be one of many small steps in reducing air pollution in the borough.”
The town hall has set a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
People can download the PayByPhone app from the Google Play store or App Store on their smartphone.
Visit www.paybyphone.co.uk/lbbd to find out more about the app and go to consumer.paypoint.com to locate PayPoint shops in the borough.
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