VICTORIA, BC, September 17, 2020 – HONK, North America’s leading provider of safe, contactless payments for parking, and the University of Victoria announced today a partnership to bring touch-free payments to campus parking. At the core of this new offering is a move towards eliminating high-touch payment usage and creating a more hygienic parking experience. Fostering a safe, clean campus environment has never been more important in light of COVID-19. Students, faculty, and staff can now safely pay for campus parking by downloading the free HONK app from the App Store or Google Play.
“The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority,” said Patrick Seward, UVic Manager of Parking & Transportation. “Partnering with HONK allows us to provide more options for those parking on campus. The contactless payment system complements the many other health and safety measures that have been put in place at the university in response to COVID-19.”
The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the need for services that reduce physical contact — a need that is as crucial on university campuses as anywhere else. Drivers to and from campus can bypass the traditional pay station and pay for parking safely and seamlessly, thanks to HONK. Without ever touching a machine or cash, students, staff, and visitors can search and pay for parking directly from their phone. Simply click, pay, and walk away.
Drivers can also opt in to receive a 15-minute reminder before their parking session is set to expire, and are given the option to add more time remotely. The ability to top up via the HonkAPP removes the need to run out and feed the metre when classes or study sessions run late — a much loved feature by students.
“We’re proud to equip the University of Victoria with touch-free parking so drivers can feel safer and more at ease as they return to campus this fall,” said Michael Back, HONK President and CEO. “The HonkAPP has a large user base in much of Victoria, Vancouver, and the surrounding areas — and we’re thrilled to extend our offering to the University of Victoria.”
About University of Victoria
UVic is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, offering life-changing, hands-on learning experiences to more than 21,000 students on the edge of the spectacular BC coast. As a hub of transformational research, UVic faculty, staff and students make a critical difference on issues that matter to people, places and the planet. UVic consistently publishes a higher proportion of research based on international collaborations than any other university in North America, and our community and organizational partnerships play a key role in generating vital impact, from scientific and business breakthroughs to achievements in culture and creativity. Find out more at uvic.ca.