More than 4,000 parking fines handed out over the past three years to drivers in Northern Ireland have had to be rescinded due to users putting in the wrong details when paying by app.

The figures come as the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) announced earlier this month that it would be upgrading its cash pay-and-display machines – but cutting the number of machines available for cash payments by almost a half, from 279 to 150.

Released to The Irish News in response to a Freedom of Information request, the department said that it receives “over 20,000 challenges” to Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) each year and that “each case is often unique”.

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However, 4,051 fines which were handed out to drivers who had paid for parking via the JustPark app between May 2023 and May 2026 were ultimately cancelled.

“Where evidence confirms that a valid parking session was active at the time of issue, the PCN may be cancelled,” the department said in its response.

“These cases are typically due to minor user input inaccuracies, such as selecting the incorrect location or entering an incorrect vehicle registration mark.

“Where cancellation is appropriate, this is granted strictly on a one-off ‘waive and warn’ basis, and the motorist is advised that any future occurrences may not be treated in the same manner.”

They added that where a fine is believed to have been issued incorrectly, recipients are advised to challenge the PCN before making any payment.

A DfI spokesperson said that over 1.3 million online parking transactions are processed annually, with the “majority of customers” having no issues with the system.

They added that given the high volume of transactions, “human error in a small percentage of cases is to be expected”.

“As the roll-out of the new pay and display machines progresses the Department and our service provider will be issuing further communications to the public to help them understand the changes,” they added.

“While 72% of parking revenue is already generated online, it is important to note that cash payments will remain available for all customers if they prefer.”