DRIVERS no longer have to pay a fee to use their mobile phone to park in Somerset West and Taunton.

From this week, people have been able to use PayByPhone's services to pay for parking in Taunton, Wellington, Minehead, Porlock, Dunster, Watchet and Williton - with 2,335 spaces available in 29 car parks.

The new cashless system across Somerset replaces the previous scheme, which saw users charged a fee to log their parking details by phone.

Now customers will also receive a free-of-charge reminder of when their parking time slot ends and will be able to extend their parking time wherever they are.

John Rendell, parking specialist at Somerset West and Taunton Council, said: "All drivers in Somerset West and Taunton now have the option to go fully cashless and enjoy the advantages of the services PayByPhone offers.

"They don’t have to carry cash or cards anymore or worry about running back to top up the parking before their

session expires.

"Whether they are out for dinner, at a meeting or shopping, the parking session can be extended from anywhere."

PayByPhone users can now also use two recently-launched features which allow drivers to locate parking before they leave for their destination and to pin their vehicle location onto a map once they have parked.

Hannah Fuller, operations director for PayByPhone UK, said: "We are very excited to launch PayByPhone in Somerset West and Taunton.

"Mobile parking payments have many advantages for people who live and work in the area and to the local authority.

"Not only does it make the parking experience more convenient and hassle-free when going cashless, but it also greatly reduces vandalism and the cost of maintaining pay-and-display machines."

She added that registration for PayByPhone, which ha been present in the UK since 2011, is simple and takes less

than 30 seconds.

Under the system, parking meters could eventually become a thing of the past as parking becomes more and more cash-free. Some areas of the country have already ceased using the machines.

You can download the PayByPhone app from the App Store or Google Play Store or visit paybyphone.co.uk