Swindon car parks set to go cashless by end of 2026
Drivers will soon need to pay using card or online methods
Swindon Borough Council is updating its 20 council-owned car parks to go cashless by the end of August 2026, subject to any delays.
The move to cashless payments aims to simplify parking across the Borough while reducing incidents of theft and vandalism at ticket machines.
People parking in these car parks will be able to pay using debit or credit cards with contactless or chip-and-pin options. Payment can also be made online through an app or over the phone.
Pay-and-display rules will remain the same for most of the council’s car parks, meaning drivers will still need to display a ticket in their car windows. For car parks with barrier systems, such as Brunel North, Fleming Way, and Whalebridge, drivers will continue to receive a ticket upon entry, pay before exiting, and use the ticket to release the barrier.
Brunel West car park is currently card-payment only ahead of the installation of new machines.
Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said: “There’s currently a real mish-mash of car parks across the Borough and there’s no uniform technology in place.
“We want to make parking in our car parks as simple and easy as possible. This work will also help reduce the amount of vandalism and theft we’ve seen at our ticket machines. Handling cash from car parks is also an expensive and time-consuming process.
“Some of our car parks, such as Brunel West and others in the town centre, have been card-payment only since the COVID-19 pandemic and we have not seen any issues.”
Motorists still wishing to pay with cash can opt for non-council-owned car parks in Swindon, which continue to accept cash.
Meanwhile, those travelling into Swindon’s town centre may also benefit from alternative transport options including the Fleming Way bus interchange, which opened last year and provides better access and connectivity. New cycle lanes have also been introduced to link the town’s Flyer cycle routes.
Work to make the car parks cashless is currently underway across the Borough and is expected to conclude by August unless unexpected delays occur.