Thousands of drivers enjoyed up to 4.5 hours free parking yesterday when electronic meters malfunctioned.
Fees from smart cards could not be collected at 3,000 meters, costing the Government up to $50,000 in lost revenue.
Hong Kong Parking first received reports of problems from drivers at about 8am.
'They told us the electronic display, which shows the remaining parking time, did not respond after they slotted their smart cards into the meter,' operation manager Kung Yuk-yee said.
Preliminary investigations showed software inside meters could be the culprit, but the exact cause would only be determined after the Canadian supplier of the meters had run tests, he said.
Mr Kung estimated the half-day shutdown had cost the Treasury $50,000 in lost revenue. The Transport Department, which told police not to issue tickets to cars parked at the faulty meters, has demanded a report from Hong Kong Parking but said it would proceed with full conversion to electronic meters by next year.
