The House gave initial approval to a proposal that would establish an 18-month pilot program requiring that three MBTA parking lots install automated payment machines that allow customers to make in-person payment for daily parking fees by cash or credit card, without the use of a mobile telephone or any other portable electronic device. The MBTA would file a report on the efficacy of the program.

The proposal was given initial approval by the House in 2020 but died when the House let it sit in a committee for ten months.

Supporters say that people who don’t use a mobile phone or other portable electronic device are billed for parking at MBTA lots through the mail at a higher rate than riders who use the app. They argue this is unfair to those without the means to purchase a mobile phone or who have trouble using their phone.

Rep. Bill Galvin (D-Canton), the sponsor of the legislation, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him why he filed the bill and if he expects the bill to receive additional approval in the House and then approval in the Senate.

Opponents of the bill say the measure is unnecessary because drivers can already currently pay the fee with a landline phone at the same rate that mobile phone users pay.