Parking Services enables students to pay for meters through Pango app
Being ten minutes late to class and scrounging for quarters to feed the meter has been a common frustration of many Central Michigan University students. Parking Services, however, says no more with their new app Pango.
Available on iPhones and Androids, Pango went operational Aug. 31. Office Director of Parking Services, Kim Speet, said the app will allow for students to remotely pay for parking from their phones.
“To use (Pango) just download the app, create an account and when (students) come on campus they find the location – CMU, Michigan – and select the zone,” Speet said. “(The app) doesn’t even need a meter number, just their zone.”
From there, students can start their meter which will automatically go for the maximum amount of time. When students have finished needing the meter, they can stop the time on their phone and pay their charge with the app.
“Students can stop their session at any time and it will charge them to the next half an hour. So if it’s 1:05 it will charge you for 1:30,” Speet said.
Chuck Mahone, president of Student Government Association, said the addition of the app to campus is something to take note of, not just for students but anyone coming to campus.
“It’s (a matter of) convenience. If (people) want to utilize it or if it’s something they’re interested in they should take advantage of it,” he said. “It’s something to be aware of and to know that they have the option.”
Students have begun to take notice. Milford senior Bradley Howe has yet to download the app but recognizes the benefits that Pango has.
“Pango is a good idea, I just have to do more research into how it works,” Howe said. “If it works and it works well, I’ll use it. It’s definitely easier than carrying around a big pile of quarters.”
The app shows how attentive Parking Services is to students’ needs Mahone said.
“Our parking services department is taking student concerns into consideration and it’s something that’s important to note,” Mahone said. “Parking isn’t the best situation, at like at any college, and we just want (Parking Services) to know that we appreciate the effort.”
Students can download the app via the App Store or scan any of the IQR Readers posted on parking meters around campus. For more information, visit pango-parking.com.
