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São Paulo phases out physical parking tickets

Drivers now have to use digital alternatives for paper pay and display permits
Written by Angelica Mari, Contributing Writer

Paper pay and display parking tickets have been phased out in the city of São Paulo and digital alternatives have been introduced.

Since the introduction of pay and display parking in the Brazilian city in 1974 up until last week, drivers parking in controlled zones had to either buy booklets of physical temporary coupons or single paper tickets from businesses such as newsagents, restaurants, markets and drugstores.

Under the new regime, the São Paulo city government has licensed eight apps so far to sell digital parking tickets. If the driver doesn't have one of the apps, businesses that previously sold the paper version will be selling digital tickets through terminals produced for the purpose.

Inspection of parking charges in São Paulo has also gone entirely digital, with devices used by traffic management agents to verify permit validity.

The city's traffic management agency will be swapping existing paper pay and display tickets for digital credits until the end of January 2017.

Digital parking was initially introduced in São Paulo in July as a means to reduce fraud, which according to the city government reached R$ 50 million ($ 14 million) in 2015 alone.

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