Parking app AppyParking has partnered with Westminster Council to launch a pay-as-you-go mobile payment solution aimed at reducing the number of parking fines van drivers receive.

The app already shows the nearest parking spaces and whether or not they are available, but the addition of the pay-as-you-go option – called One Click Parking – allows drivers to pay through their mobile once they vacate the spot.

It also negates the need for LCV drivers to guess how long they need to pay for parking, with the app only charging for the time spent in the space.

The launch of the service – which is aimed at fleets, but can also be used by consumers – follows on from a trial in the London borough last year with Pimlico Plumbers.

Each vehicle is fitted with a dongle that connects to the internet, with the device detecting when the vehicle is parked. Once it is on the move again, AppyParking will send an email notification detailing the stay.

At present, 150 commercial vehicles use the system, including those owned or leased by companies such as Handy Squad and Polytech.

A spokeswoman told What Van? that for the purposes of the trial the dongle was given to drivers for free, with the firm “establishing a commercially viable agreement with each partner” going forward.

The firm is planning to roll out the pay-as-you-go system to other London boroughs when their parking payment agreements come up for renewal, with the eventual aim of the system covering the whole of the UK by the end of next year.

Dan Hubert, CEO of AppyParking said a disproportionate level of parking income and fines come from London, adding: “Every day fleet businesses are on the roads and it is impossible to predict how long an appointment or emergency may take. One Click Parking will take the pressure out of parking and benefit the local area by reducing congestion and pollution that comes from unnecessarily circling round the block.”

Cllr Danny Chalkley, Westminster City Council cabinet member for parking, said: “Our pioneering work has changed the way parking operates in the city. We continue to be a council that innovates in many ways, helping to advance our city so that businesses, tourism and our residents can thrive.”