Drive for free car parking in the Ulster Hospital gets green light - new automatic number plate scanning system to be up and running next year
A drive to bring free car parking to one of Northern Ireland’s biggest hospitals is now under way.
Free parking is due to come to the Ulster Hospital by May next year, and the hospital is reworking its facilities to make that happen.
The Ulster is bringing in cameras that will scan number plates as vehicles enter the site, which will then be used to monitor and manage the hospital’s car parks.
Installation works began this week and the South Eastern Health Trust, which runs the hospital, plans to phase in the cameras across the Ulster’s car parks over the next year.
The initial phase introduces cameras to drop-off and set-down areas.
The Trust says visitors to the site will begin to notice changes in the coming weeks, and advises the public to familiarise themselves with new signage and traffic management updates. Parking attendants will also be on-site.
Trust assistant director of support services, Jeff Thompson, said: “The implementation of the [camera] system is a critical step in preparing for the removal of car parking charges in May 2026.
"We would like to thank our staff and members of the public for their understanding and cooperation as we adopt this new technology to manage traffic flow and car park capacity across our sites”
Until the new system goes live, current charges remain in place and visitors are reminded to continue paying for parking as normal.
Updates will follow in due course, the Trust says.
Health authorities across Northern Ireland have been brainstorming ways to overhaul parking facilities infrastructure and traffic management systems since the Northern Ireland Assembly’s 2022 vote to scrap hospital parking charges.