Liepāja is one of Latvia’s most dynamic coastal cities, with a growing number of residents, visitors, and seasonal tourism flows. As a coastal tourism city, seasonal simplicity and accessibility are essential for visitor experience. As urban mobility demands increase, the need for simple, efficient, and modern parking infrastructure becomes essential for both everyday life and city operations.

Recognizing the importance of parking as part of the overall urban experience, Liepāja Municipality partnered with BISS to modernize its on-street parking system by introducing a fully digital, cashless payment solution. The project replaces old coin-only parking machines with a fully digital, cashless payment system that is easier for people to use and easier for the city to manage.

This transformation marks a clear shift from maintenance-intensive, decentralized infrastructure to a smart, digitally managed urban service. This changes how people experience the city – parking becomes a seamless part of movement, not a point of friction.

Project Overview

At the end of 2025, BISS implemented a digital on-street parking payment system in Liepāja based on modern payment stations and a centralized management platform. A total of 15 payment stations were delivered - 12 are already installed and in operation, and 3 more will be launched before the 2026 summer season.

The system is designed as a comprehensive city service, not just a payment solution. It simplifies everyday parking for residents and visitors while providing the municipality with centralized oversight of the entire parking operation. Through a single management platform, the city can monitor transactions in real time, configure and adjust tariffs, update on-screen content and help texts remotely, and oversee the technical status of each payment station. This includes early visibility into technical issues such as POS terminal or network connectivity disruptions, allowing for quick response and uninterrupted service availability.

Drivers can pay for parking using modern cashless methods, including bank cards and NFC payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, eliminating the need for coins and reducing friction in everyday mobility. The large 21.5’ touchscreen and clear user flow make the process fast, simple, and easy to understand for all users.

The payment experience was designed specifically for Liepāja. The user journey and visual design of the payment terminals were developed in line with the city’s branding and identity, extending Liepāja’s presence into the street environment. This approach creates a unified city experience, where parking terminals feel like a natural part of the city rather than standalone technical devices, offering residents and visitors a familiar, consistent and intuitive interaction.  

Benefits

• Simple and intuitive experience for users: Drivers can pay quickly without cash. The large screen and clear steps make parking easy for locals, tourists, and first-time users.
• Custom interface for Liepāja: The user interface is designed specifically for Liepāja, reflecting the city’s identity and branding, and creating a consistent look across the city.
• Less everyday stress in the city: Fast payments and simple use make everyday parking easier and more convenient. An integrated Help Center is available in multiple languages, providing answers to frequently asked questions and supporting both residents and visitors whenever assistance is needed.
• Clear control for city services: The municipality manages the system through one central platform that includes: tariff and pricing management, transaction overview, station health monitoring (online/offline status, temperature, system status), remote control and configuration, weekly and monthly reports. This allows the city to manage parking efficiently and transparently.
• Lower maintenance and operating costs: Remote monitoring and central management reduce the need for physical servicing, cash handling, and manual maintenance.
• City communication channel: Idle screens can be updated remotely and used for city information, tourism content, public messages, and seasonal campaigns - turning parking stations into part of the city’s communication network.

Impact and Results

• Improved parking experience: Residents and visitors benefit from faster, simpler, and more convenient parking payments through modern digital channels.
• Operational efficiency: The city works with less manual effort, lower maintenance needs, and better system control.
• Better transparency and governance: Centralized data and reporting support better decision-making and long-term planning.
• Modern city infrastructure: Liepāja moves from old cash-based systems to a modern, digital, centrally managed solution.
• Future-ready urban infrastructure: The solution is scalable and ready for future city development and smart city initiatives. This creates a foundation for integrated mobility services, smart transport systems, and connected urban infrastructure.

Facts and Data

Location: Liepāja, Latvia

‍Installation year: 2025

Project type: On-street parking digitalization

Payment stations delivered: 15

Payment model: Fully cashless system

User interface: Custom-designed UI for Liepāja

Client: Liepāja Municipality

Solution provider: BISS