Patients and carers who frequently visit NSW public hospitals will benefit from significantly reduced car parking fees under expanded concessions.
And now a website and smartphone app – the first of its kind in Australia – will provide information on how to access the discounted rates.
They are both available for more information on concessional parking, including fees, eligibility and map functions.
The website and app, developed by digital communications firm The Frame Group and available in nine languages, provide information on fees and concessions, eligibility criteria, maps, public transport options and other health-related subsidies.
The website and app include the following features:
• A quick search for hospitals by name address or from a map;
• Parking information including pricing, opening hours and a hospital campus map if available;
• Concession parking information such as rates, eligibility and how to obtain the discounted rate at the hospital;
• Hospital details including address, phone number, visiting hours, and a link to the hospitals’ websites;
• Public transport options to hospital including train, bus, ferry, and community transport;
• Links to services such as the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme, NSW Community Transport Program (CTP), NSW Health Isolated Patient Travel & Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS), and Carer Gateway;
• Available in English and eight community languages.
Those eligible for discounted hospital car parking include patients and carers attending hospital for treatment lasting more than a week, patients and carers attending more than twice a week, ongoing cancer treatment patients, cardiac rehabilitation education exercise class attendees, daily dressing outpatients and health promotion education class attendees.
Holders of pensioner, veterans, health care and mobility parking scheme concession cards are also eligible for reduced parking rates.
The NSW Government announced in March that concessions would be extended to every public hospital car park in NSW where fees are applied, including those run by private operators.
Under the new policy, a three-day discounted ticket will cost a maximum of $10.90 and a seven-day ticket $21.70, and both allow multiple entries and exits.
The NSW Government has worked with private car parking operators to implement the changes.
Wollondilly MP Jai Rowell says “not only is this government making it fairer for those in need to park at hospitals, we are also making it easier for them to access parking information”.
Mr Rowell also thanked Metro Parking, who operate four of the car parks in Sydney, which has enabled the changes to be put into place.
For more information go online here.
