The latest mobile phone technology could be used to transform the way citizens interact with public services in Britain's cities, according to a new report.

Parking meters that don't jam and an end to queuing are just two of the improvements promised by third generation (3G) mobile technology, Demos says in a new study entitled "London calling".

The report argues that the public sector should take a lead in developing new applications to improve service delivery in the Capital and beyond.

It says the new technology has the potential to bring "e-democracy" to life both in London and across the UK.

"Wireless applications have the potential to transform public services in the same way that they are revolutionising services in the private sector," said the study.

Using Vienna as a case study, the report says drivers are now registering their car and credit card details by phone and buy parking credits by text.

The system sends them a warning when the meter is about to expire.

It also reveals that a prototype bus at the Tokyo motor show has already demonstrated how passengers could receive information to their phones about approaching buses.

"Wireless technology has already made a big difference in the private sector and there is a big opportunity for the public sector to take a lead in developing new applications which could make a real difference to our everyday lives," said the report's authors, Helen McCarthy and Paul Miller.

"From hospitals to schools, public services already have the infrastructure which would be totally transformed by using wireless technology to link users to information about those services."

The authors argue that mobile technology would not only deliver more efficient public services but could actually change the way people interact with local government and public bodies.

"London life has already been altered by the use of these emerging technologies in ways that the mobile operators hadn't fully predicted - as has already happened with the massive enthusiasm for texting," added McCarthy and Miller.

"3G technology will bring about new social connections if the operators encourage the development of applications which enable people to create and share their own content."