SINGAPORE - Motorists will be able to download and use a mobile app to pay parking fees at public carparks from Oct 1.

The Parking.sg app, which is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, can be used at 1,100 carparks which still require parking coupons.

Through the app, motorists can use their credit or debit cards to pay parking charges.

At the start, however, Parking.sg can be used only for cars and light goods vehicles.

The scheme will be extended to motorcycles and heavy vehicles by the end of the year, said the Housing Board, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore in a joint statement on Friday (Sept 29).

The agencies added that even as the new app is rolled out, paper coupons can still be used at the 1,100 carparks.

The app will automatically calculate the parking fees based on 30-minute blocks, but if motorists end their parking sessions earlier, they will be charged only on a per-minute basis and get a refund.

The app will also alert motorists when their parking sessions are about to expire, and they can choose to extend their sessions remotely.

Parking.sg was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at this year's National Day Rally, as part of Singapore's Smart Nation drive.

Trials were conducted in two phases - from May to June and from July to September. They involved more than 15,000 public officers and selected members of the public.

The HDB and URA said they have put up additional signage at carparks that will reflect the carpark's code. These codes, which motorists will need to select in their Parking.sg app, are generally found only on signboards placed at the main entrance of carparks.