MORE than 6000 shoppers at Westfield Miranda have registered their vehicle licence plates ahead of the start of paid parking at the centre from Monday.
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The first three hours of parking and parking after 6pm is free, with fees beyond that ranging from $3 to $40.
A Westfield spokeswoman said a three-week trial of the licence-plate recognition scheme went "really well".
"We have received over 6000 registrations from shoppers and the feedback has been positive," she said.
"In particular, registered shoppers have loved receiving the SMS on their arrival in-centre.
"The SMS includes their arrival time and their registration number and will help shoppers when the fees commence as they will have the necessary details if they choose to pay in-centre on SMS.
"If they have elected to have their credit card debited, they still have an easy reference point of the time they have spent in-centre."
The spokeswoman said shoppers could check how long they had been parked in the centre by looking at their entry SMS, entering their registration number on one of the digital maps or pay machines at the centre, or asking car park staff for assistance.
Staff who had been helping customers during the trial would continue in this role, she said.
The spokeswoman asked shoppers to register "to help them plan their trip better" at parkwestfield.com.au
BEWARE THE DETAIL IN CAR PARK FEES
Engadine resident Ian Robertson believes ‘‘the devil is in the detail’’.
He said people who parked in the late afternoon and stayed for dinner or a movie could be caught unawares.
While parking was free after 6pm, anyone who parked in the centre before that time would still be charged if they stayed more than three hours.
A Westfield spokeswoman said if a shopper parked at 4pm and stayed until 8pm, the first three hours would be free and they would be charged $4 for the extra hour.
If a shopper used three hours of free parking during the day and returned at night, they would not have to pay a fee provided entry was after 6pm, she said.
Do you think the parking system will work well?