Pay-by-app parking ‘excluding mature drivers’ – Automotive Weblog

Thousands and thousands of older motorists might be restricted from taking easy journeys to the city just because they gained’t have the capability to pay for parking, says main car breakdown restoration supplier Begin Rescue.

As native authorities more and more transfer to ‘pay by app’ methods, pensioners who would not have a smartphone will discover themselves excessive and dry at parking bays within the UK’s cities and cities.

The transfer away from money and card funds has been accelerated by cell phone suppliers switching off 3G information networks, on which some parking machines function.

At present there are a minimum of 30 completely different smartphone apps to pay parking expenses.

Britain’s greatest parking app is RingGo with 19 million customers, however different main gamers corresponding to ParkMe, Parkopedia, Simply Park, and PayByPhone want to broaden.

Most function utilizing apps however with some, corresponding to RingGo, you’ll be able to name and ebook your spot over the telephone. There’s nonetheless no approach of paying by card or money immediately, although.

Information from Ofcom reveals that solely 68% of these aged 65 or over use a smartphone to go surfing. With greater than 9.2 million drivers on our roads in the identical age group based on the DVLA, that implies there are doubtlessly 2.9 million older drivers with out entry to apps to allow them to pay for parking.

“Native authorities have an issue, however additionally it is a nationwide problem that must be addressed,” stated Lee Puffett, managing director of Begin Rescue.

“Aged individuals like to make use of money and they’re completely keen to pay – and they need to have that choice obtainable to them. If native authorities need parking income they have to make fee strategies which are straightforward for all of society, not simply the youthful technology.”