New Swedish App Pays People to Report Wrongly Parked Cars

A new app launched in Sweden allows people to take photos of wrongly parked cars and report them for money. The app is currently available to users in Uppsala and will launch in several major cities shortly, according to the company’s CEO.

“Scout Park is a Swedish gig economy app that allows anyone aged 16 and above with a Swedish social security number to earn money on the go by helping parking attendants find people who do not follow the parking rules in the community,” Erik Englund, CEO of the company, told Euronews.

The person making the report simply takes a photo of the car, including the number plate, and uploads it in the Scout Park app. The app will then notify them of any nearby traffic attendant and when the officer is on their way.

Erik Englund explained that if the tip leads to an inspection by a traffic warden and the car owner gets a ticket, the individual who initiated the tip earns 100 Krona (almost $10 USD). “Well, it’s never fun to get a parking ticket. The app does more good than harm,” says Englund.

His LinkedIn page elaborates, “The reason why it’s all about parking enforcement is not that I hate motorists or that I’m completely zealous about law and order, but only that I saw the opportunity in this industry to realize my vision of creating the world’s easiest extra job, that anyone can do at any time and get money in their account instantly.”

A few people have criticized the innovation as not adding value to society, but Englund believes that Scout Park will ensure that no-parking zones are respected, everyone plays by the same rules, and there’s hassle-free access to designated areas for anyone relying on accessible pathways.

“The app does not apply to all areas in Uppsala, but only to the parking company Parkia’s car parks,” Swedish TV (SVT) reported. Parkia is a Swedish parking services provider affiliated with Scout Park to enforce parking rules in areas where it operates.