It has been revealed that, under a new government proposal, motorists will be able to pay to park their cars by waving a debit or credit card at a meter.

The initiative, by Westminster Council, comes as the Government moves to encourage the use of cashless payment for transport nationwide.

The new technology means drivers will no longer have to carry around bulky change or remember their pin number to pay to park.

Instead they will use contactless credit cards, which they will swipe across a magnetic reader fitted on 20 machines in the West End early next year.

The Department for Transport welcomed the Westminster initiative. “This parking trial is a positive step in the direction of seamless travel,” a spokesman said.

“The recent Smart and Integrated Ticketing consultation predicts that “wave and pay” technology will play an important role in the future of integrated city-wide transport schemes across the country,” they said.