The elderly and vulnerable who do not own a smartphone, or have difficulty using one, will be particularly hard hit, as Britons can only pay for parking if they download and use a car park’s dedicated app. But it is thought that there are up to 30 different smartphone apps in use across the country, meaning drivers must regularly download different programs and comply with different rules or risk a fine.
Not only does it cause technology headaches, but it’s also likely to cause drivers to be late for appointments, as they’re forced to wait for another app to download to their phone.
London Boroughs of Bromley and Enfield will both stop using ATMs by April, while Brighton and Hove City Council will end the practice on May 31.
Harrow in London, along with Westminster, has removed all of its machines.
The reason for the shift is that mobile phone providers are shutting down the 3G data networks that serve the parking meters. Bromley said it would cost £1 million to update all its machines to 4G.
Dennis Reed, director of the over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, told the Daily Express: “This is blatant ageism. They know very well when they introduce these systems that they discriminate against the elderly. Many elderly people do not own a smartphone, or if they do, use it only for calling and texting. They don’t know apps, let alone download them.
“The answer is that a lot of people just drive off and park somewhere else, like on the road or on someone’s street. There must be an alternative.”
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the move was “disastrous for anyone without a smartphone” and that the elderly could become more isolated.
She said: “If you’re an elderly person who relies on your car to get around, but you don’t have the ability to park it legally near where you want to go, you might feel like there’s little point has to go there.”
One benefit of using a smartphone app is that it often gives users the option to add extra time to their stay without having to rush back to their vehicle.
But there are plenty of providers out there, such as RingGo, JustPark, PayByPhone and Parkopedia, and they all usually require users to key in both their contact details and car details – which takes a lot longer than simply inserting coins or a debit card into a machine.
As with any online program, there is also a risk of scammers taking advantage of users. RingGo warns customers that an unauthorized website called APKPURE has been promoting its app without permission and urged users not to download it from the APKPURE website as it may contain a virus.
RingGo blamed machine theft – causing Westminster Council to lose an estimated 25 per cent of its revenue – as well as vandalism, maintenance and the loss of 3G, for a change.
It said a joint initiative between the Department of Transport and local authorities is being trialled to create a national parking platform that will simplify payments with a single app.
Dave Smith of the British Parking Association said parking operators should offer both cash and digital payments and there should be no fines if the system fails.