The days of drivers having to hoard pound coins to park in Norwich's car parks could soon be over - with trials of cashless parking due to start.

While machines in the three multi-storey car parks run by Norwich City Council accept card payments, those on the surface car parks owned by City Hall are coin only.

It is the same situation for the council-owned pay and display machines on city centre streets.

That is despite cashless payments in South Norfolk, North Norfolk, Great Yarmouth and West Norfolk having been available for years.

Norwich City Council's machines were installed in 2014, but changes are due in the months ahead.

In April, Mike Stonard, council cabinet member for sustainable and inclusive growth, said this year would see trials of smartphone payments for tickets at car parks in the city.

And a spokesperson for the city council said it is hoped trial locations for cashless payments would be up and running in some of the city's car parks in the next few months.

She said a project group set up to make the changes was continuing to work through the details and logistics.

Norwich Evening News: The council has yet to say where the trials will take place.The council has yet to say where the trials will take place. (Image: Copyright Archant Norfolk 2014)

The locations of the car parks where the trials will take place have yet to be announced.

The coronavirus pandemic means people are carrying less cash with them, with some shops and venues no longer taking cash payments.

Last year, the city council agreed a new contract for a company to collect the money from car parks at a reduced cost of about £90,000 per year.

Along with the three multi-storey car parks, Norwich City Council runs 11 off-street car parks in the city, while on-street payment machines are in numerous streets.

Meanwhile, drivers can currently park for free in one of the city council's car parks.

Where the pay machine should be in the Barn Road car park - following work to build student accommodation above it - there are just wires in the floor.

Norwich Evening News: Where the pay machines should be, there are just wires protruding from the ground.Where the pay machines should be, there are just wires protruding from the ground. (Image: Archant)

The council said the pandemic meant it had not been possible to install a new machine, but decided not to shut the car park to encourage people to use the city's businesses.