‘Millions stuck in parking app hell’ claim as car parks move to digital payment
Worries about the creeping disappearance of cash and credit card payment for car parking is front page news today. Millions stuck in parking app hell is the Daily Mail banner headline.
In a survey for the paper people raised a wide range of concerns about car parks moving towards digital-only payment including:
- lack digital skills or confidence
- no access to a smartphone
- effect of poor internet coverage
- need to have more than one parking app
- risk of confusing visitors.
More than half of over-65s apparently don’t like using parking apps such as RingGo. Respondents of all ages said they would be put off going to town centres that lacked parking meters.
Ending pay-and-display ‘disastrous’
Age UK, quoted in the Mail, said ending pay-and-display would be ‘disastrous’ for millions of older people. A retail spokesman said easy-to-use parking was important for successful towns and high streets.
Locally, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council praises the convenience of RingGo now in most of its carparks. But as we pointed out last year their decision in retain cash and credit card payments was a wise one.
Meanwhile we feel moving to digital-only (as seems to be happening in a growing number of places) would be unwise at present.
We would also recommend Surrey County Council, now responsible for on-street parking throughout the county, think hard before moving far in this direction.
Millions of drivers are stuck in parking app hell,, Daily Mail, 03/04/23
Parking: digital payment is convenient but a big problem for some citizens, CAEE, 2109.22