Yandex Launches Parking App in Moscow

MOSCOW and AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yandex YNDX has released a new app that helps drivers in Moscow find a parking space and pay for the service without leaving their car.

With the Yandex.Parking app, there is no need to drive the streets to find a parking spot or even leave your car to pay for it. The app shows more than 6,000 municipal parking areas on a map, with information about the availability of vacant spaces updated every 10-15 minutes. It also shows parking fee rates and provides a choice of easy payment methods from within the app.

The app also offers an opportunity to plot the best route to a chosen parking space, if the user's phone is equipped with the Yandex.Navigator app.

Yandex.Parking is available for devices operating iOS and Android, and can be downloaded from Yandex.Store, App Store, and Google Play.

"The Yandex.Parking app solves one of the main problems in Moscow: where to park," said Nikolay Meshcheriakov, head of Yandex.Parking. "We want to provide drivers with all the available options. The app already displays both municipal and commercial parking lots. We are inviting the owners of parking facilities to join our system, so that drivers will be able to see data about the availability of space and pay for it within the app."

The app warns a driver in advance when their paid parking time is about to finish, so they can pay more to extend it, or return and collect their car on time. It also helps the forgetful find their car by reminding them where they parked. And if a driver vacates a parking space before their time is up, the balance is returned to their parking account.

Users can pay for parking with their Yandex.Money account, or by bankcard, from a mobile phone or a city parking account. Payments from city parking accounts are commission-free, while the commission on other payment methods varies.

Payments on the app are supported by Yandex.Money, which offers merchants solutions for accepting payments online.

Information about parking rates is provided by the Moscow Department for Transport, while the city's Parking Space Administration provides data about the availability of vacant parking spaces.

"Our goal is to create a modern and convenient parking space in the city," said Sergei Andreikin, First Deputy Head of the Moscow Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development. "We are pleased that Yandex has joined us in solving this problem by launching a new service for the users of parking areas. The more ways to find and pay for parking, the more comfortable it will be for drivers in Moscow."