New App Pays Users to Report Illegally Parked Cars

Have you ever spotted a car parked where it shouldn't be and wished you could give them a ticket? Sweden now has an app for that. According to Euronews, a company called Smart Scout recently launched an app that pays people to report drivers who aren’t following parking rules. Anyone older than 16 with a Swedish social security number can snap a photo of a wrongly parked car through the app, which will then notify the user that a parking attendant is on the way. If the tip leads to the car owner being fined, the user will receive a payment of SEK 100 (or $9.15 USD).

The Swedish app only applies to private parking lots, not city lots or street parking. But if it could be scaled in that manner, this concept could be an innovative way for cities to expand their parking enforcement. It certainly would make drivers think twice before parking in a bike lane or blocking crosswalk, sidewalks, or accessibility ramps.