MOTORISTS could soon pay for their parking in Southampton by swiping contactless cards next to parking meters.

Southampton City Council will become the first authority outside London to trial the “wave and pay” technology later this year.

The scheme will allow motorists to pay for parking by swiping a credit card over a magnetic reader in the parking machine.

The technology, developed by credit cards firms, eliminates the need for drivers to carry around pocketfuls of cash or to enter chip-and-PIN details to pay to park.

Council bosses say the cashless technology could eventually be used to pay for Itchen Bridge tolls, bus journeys, and other purchases of less than £10 such as newspapers and coffee.

The council hopes to trial the system before the end of the year in a couple of car parks and fully roll it out in all pay-and-display car parks by April next year.

Designed and developed by parking systems manufacturer Parkeon, the technology is similar to the Oyster card used by millions travelling on London’s buses and trains, where discounted fares are available for users.

Westminster City Council is carrying out trials in London on some of its West End parking meters. Old style coin meters, which had a 50-year run, were removed from Westminster in March because of increasing fraud.

The council was losing over £100,000 a week because the machines were targeted by gangs who used power saws and angle grinders to cut them in half.

Southampton parking boss Councillor Matt Dean said: “We are always looking at innovative ways to deliver services.”