The car park of a popular retail and entertainment hub will soon get a significant upgrade when a new paid parking system is introduced.
The Big Top Shopping Centre at Maroochydore has announced it will be bringing in a new system that features ticketless entry and licence plate recognition to track parking.
There will also be new digital signage at each car park entry displaying the number of available parking spaces.
Related story: The shopping revolution unfolding under the Big Top
Centre manager Jennifer Spratling said the upgrade would provide customers with a range of benefits.
“Big Top Shopping Centre has begun installation of a new managed parking system, which will deliver a smarter, more streamlined method of parking and provide our community with the best opportunity to quickly and easily find a parking space,” she said.
“Once the system is activated, parking at the centre will be free for the first three hours and further parking will be free all day for anyone that holds a disabled permit to park.”
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Rates will start at $4 for customers who have parked for more than three hours, with several payment options will be available.
A dedicated parking zone will be available for shopping centre staff, with a flat all-day rate of $5.
“Initial feedback has been generally positive and, as always, we’ll work with our retailers, customers and community to ensure the best outcomes,” Ms Spratling said.
She said the key objective of introducing managed parking was to ensure access to the centre was as convenient as possible and allow customers to easily connect with retailers.
“Our key priority is to provide a convenient and enjoyable experience at Big Top Shopping Centre, and this new technology will ensure that navigating the car park will be quick and easy for our community,” she said.
“The new managed parking system will increase the convenience and accessibility of Big Top Shopping Centre for our entire community.
“The new system is expected to be fully operational later this month.”
Paid parking systems are already in place at some other shopping centres around the Coast, including Sunshine Plaza and Stockland Birtinya.
Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our FREE daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email at the bottom of this article.
