National

Pay and display parking machines to be phased out as public told to use apps

Concerns have been raised about the impact of the move on elderly and vulnerable people

By Suruchi Sharma Diwan

TAKE NOTE: Motorists are being warned about a major change regarding how you pay for your parking (Photo by Getty Images/ iStockphoto)

By Levi Winchester

Pay and display parking machines are set to be scrapped across the UK, in a move that could have a ‘disastrous’ impact on some drivers, experts warn.

Only those who download and use a car park's specific app will be able to pay for parking in Britain, which will be particularly challenging for the elderly and vulnerable who don't own a smartphone or struggle to use them. Campaigners have expressed concerns that this move could “alienate some people, including the elderly”.

The Times has reported that councils are getting rid of traditional pay and display machines as 3G data networks that power the meters are being shut down by mobile phone operators. Brighton and Hove city council plans to eliminate its parking machines by May 31, while the London borough of Bromley aims to do the same by early April.

In January, Harrow completed the process of removing all its machines, while Enfield is set to follow suit and remove all its meters by early April. Westminster city council has been without pay and display machines since 2019.

Other boroughs, such as Richmond, Merton and Barking and Dagenham, have also removed some machines, as reported by the Mirror. However, with up to 30 smartphone apps in operation across the country, motorists may need to download multiple programs and navigate varying rules to avoid being fined.

The cost of upgrading to 4G is being blamed by councils as mobile providers prepare to shut down their 3G networks. Vodafone and EE are set to discontinue their 3G networks by the end of 2023, while Three will do so in 2024.

Pay and display meters are being removed and replaced by smartphone apps across the UK (Photo by Getty)

According to Caroline Abrahams, the charity director at Age UK, the potential end of pay and display parking could be catastrophic for certain individuals. She said: "The news that we may soon see the end of pay and display parking is disastrous for anyone without a smartphone, including millions of older people who are struggling with the shift away from the coin-in-the-slot payment methods they used throughout their lives.”

The British Parking Association acknowledged that "most people appreciate the convenience of using apps to manage and keep track of their parking time," but conceded that "this technology may not be suitable for everyone, including seniors".

Nicholas Bennet, Bromley executive councillor for transport, added: “As a pensioner myself, I appreciate that some people have a problem with modern technology. However, we are talking about people who drive a ton and a half of steel, which requires more skill than downloading an app.”

What do you think about parking machines being replaced by apps? Let us know in the comments.