What will seniors or disabled do when parking machines are gone?

So far, no one has told us when it will happen.

But as SooToday first reported over the weekend, city staff want to gradually do away with all Sault parking meters and paper-based parking machines.

Brent Lamming, the city's director of community services, has served notice that staff are proposing to replace coin meters and pay-and-displays with the Passport phone app.

But concern is now being expressed that scrapping the old-school payment options may isolate people with disabilities, elders and those who lack mobile phones or credit cards.

Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth asked at Monday night's city council meeting how the 16 per cent of people who have accessibility challenges will be able to park.

Brent Lamming, the city's director of community services, replied that parking is free anywhere on Queen Street for vehicles displaying either an accessible parking permit or a military veteran's identification.

But Hollingsworth pressed Lamming further, asking about people with arthritis who might have difficulty using their hands to operate a phone app.

"As we move forward, we want to use technology; we want to think about the future," Hollingsworth said.

"But how are we going to make sure that this group – the 16 per cent – is going to be always front of our minds?" she asked.

Ward 2 Coun. Luke Dufour commented that he's been using the Passport parking app for years.

"I find it really easy and really, really affordable," Dufour said.

"Hopefully, that message can get out to more businesses who are concerned about some of that short-term parking as well."

City council rejected a proposal from Hollingsworth to provide businesses with time-limited, pre-paid parking passes on a lanyard that could be hung on a customer's rear-view mirror.

Councillors were told that the Downtown Association had surveyed its members, and 81.8 per cent were unwilling to pay for client parking.

So far, the city's mobile Passport parking app has 2,053 users.

The app can be used to pay for parking anywhere on Queen Street using Zone 3768.