Montreal's parking payment app expires this week and people already hate its replacement
Montrealers who still use the P$ Mobile Service app to pay for street parking will have to say goodbye. That's because, as of Wednesday, July 31, the app will officially stop working.
The city's Agence de mobilité durable is pulling the plug on the long-running app and switching over to a new platform called Mobicité. While the new app is supposed to offer a better user experience, many early reviews suggest it's off to a rough start.
Mobicité is already available on iOS and Android, and it lets you pay for metered parking and certain city lots the same way the old app did. It includes new features like a live countdown timer, 10-minute warning notifications, the ability to manage multiple cards, and a map showing the city's entire paid parking network.
But with the software still in its early stages, many users have complained, saying it doesn't work.
As of July 29, Mobicité has an average rating of just 2.1 stars on the Google Play Store and a 2.4 star average on Apple's app store. The most common complaints are about login issues, broken sign-up forms, and map glitches. Several users also claim the app is completely unusable, even after multiple reinstalls and attempts to contact support.
"This is without a doubt the worst app that I have ever encountered," wrote one reviewer. "Every time I try to register, a message appears saying 'nous traitons vos informations'... and it stays there. Indefinitely."
Another user reported being stuck in traffic after chasing parking spots that didn't exist: "The parking map's accuracy is faulty as it indicates the availability of parking spaces that are either non-existent or occupied by street terraces."
Some also criticized the fact that your old parking data won't transfer. Anyone using the new app has to start from scratch with a new account. And if you want a copy of your parking history, you'll need to log in to your old P$ account and download it manually before December 15, 2025.
The Agence de mobilité durable says a web version of Mobicité is in the works for users who don’t have a compatible phone. Until then, drivers without iOS 16 or Android 13 may be out of luck.
Despite the complaints, the city says it's committed to improving the platform over time. The app was developed by Quebec-based company Mirego and is meant to be a long-term replacement for the Passport-built P$ system, which often received its own share of criticism over the years.
If you're still using the P$ app, make sure to delete it and install Mobicité before the July 31 deadline, unless you're ready to go back to paying
Mobicité is free to download on the App Store and Google Play.
Streets in Montreal that will see extended parking hours on November 15.
Parking signs in Montreal during the fall.
