THE new car parking system is in operation at Newton Abbot’s Asda store.

The public has enjoyed free parking there for many months as Asda carried out the transformation from Pay and Display to ANPR (automatic number plate recognition).

The ANPR system is now up and running.

Those using the car park must purchase a ticket at the machine and also input their full vehicle registration number.

The maximum stay is three hours. Charges are £1 per hour, with the full purchase price of the ticket being refunded against a minimum purchase of £10 in the Asda store upon production of the parking ticket.

Cameras ‘clock’ your vehicle registration as you arrive and will ‘clock’ any overstays, which may result in a parking charge of £70.

To qualify for free parking, blue badge holders must visit the customer service desk with the full and correct vehicle registration to register for a permit until the expiry of the Blue Badge.

For those picking up shoppers, including taxis, there is a 15 minute ‘grace’ period before a penalty is imposed.

If a vehicle enters and leaves within this grace period, there is no need to purchase a ticket.

Unfortunately the non-cash payment option is not the same as in all the TDC owned car parks, which use ‘RingGo’.

Instead, the app which Asda customers are asked to install is ‘paybyphone’.

The way the system operates is similar to RingGo whereby there is a need to register a valid credit or debit card and vehicle registration.

Whereas there is no additional charge to use RingGo (unless you add the additional service of reminders) there is an additional 20p charge for each transaction if you use paybyphone.