Make it easier to pay for parking, says AA

Seven out of 10 (70 per cent) UK drivers say they are more likely to drive by rather than park in a bay which requires payment by phone, according to a survey by the Automobile Association (AA). The AA-Populus Driver Poll of more than 16,500 members carried out last month, found that cash is still the preferred option for those looking to pay for parking. Despite their preference to use cash, around two thirds of drivers say that it is often a challenge to find the right change for parking, which may be due
August 9, 2017 Read time: 3 mins

Seven out of 10 (70 per cent) UK drivers say they are more likely to drive by rather than park in a bay which requires payment by phone, according to a survey by the Automobile Association (1459 AA).

The AA-Populus Driver Poll of more than 16,500 members carried out last month, found that cash is still the preferred option for those looking to pay for parking.

Despite their preference to use cash, around two thirds of drivers say that it is often a challenge to find the right change for parking, which may be due to machines which do not give change. In addition, AA research has discovered that more than one in five local councils has not yet installed the software necessary to accept the new £1 coin.

Responding to the AA, many councils indicated that they intended to introduce new ‘pay-by-phone’ systems. However, more than two fifths of drivers say that they would find this change a problem as they mainly pay for things by cash, while 70 per cent are sceptical about using such systems as they often carry an additional administration fee.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, says: “Parking in town centres can be troublesome at the best of times. Not only can it be a struggle to find a space but now, when you do find one, you may be required to talk to an automated system to pay the charge – not ideal if you have an appointment or just want to get in and get out quickly.

“More than half of drivers don’t care how they pay, as long as it is easy to do so. Putting administration fees on parking, not yet accepting the new £1 coin, having to enter your registration number or failing to provide change are all stumbling blocks our struggling high streets cannot afford if they deter potential customers.

“All providers should make it easier to pay for parking. Not everyone has a smartphone to pay via an app and not everyone is keen to talk to a robot to pay for an hour’s stay. For the elderly and low income drivers, pay by phone feels almost discriminatory.”

Responding to the survey, a 6932 Local Government Association spokesman said: “Councils offer a variety of ways to pay for parking, and paying by phone can be a quick and convenient way to do so.

“As the AA’s own research shows, 76 per cent of councils in England have already converted the parking machines they’re responsible for to accept the new £1 coin. Others are well on the way towards doing so. But having a range of options to pay for parking, for residents and visitors, is the best way for councils to serve the needs of their local communities.”

Parking & Access Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Mobility pricing offers new tools for managing mobility
    November 23, 2017
    Mobility pricing is the best way of sustaining and enhancing mobility, argues Moving Forward Consulting’s Josef Czako. Mobility pricing (MP) is effectively the culmination of the ‘user pays’ principle and has been referred to in many policy discussions about electronic toll collection, road user charging (RUC), and pricing. MP not only reflects the ‘use more, pay more’ nature of RUC, it also takes account of the external cost of journeys including pollution, noise, the cost of congestion and accidents.
    Read More
  • EVR and how best to do it
    June 10, 2015
    Kapsch TrafficCom’s Christoph Amlacher explains that the key to successful Electronic Vehicle Registration is to consider a deployment in its entirety — including enforcement. Electronic Vehicle Registration (EVR) shares much in common with large-scale city congestion charging, in that its benefits are numerous and obvious, and it has been a topic of lively discussion for a decade and more. Despite such manifest advantages and widespread interest, this has failed to translate into numerous large-scale deplo
    Read More
  • Australia’s Transurban to trial road user charging
    March 27, 2015
    Speaking at a major industry forum, Scott Charlton, CEO of Australian toll roads operator, Transurban, said that the country’s major cities risk a decline in liveability without major investment in transport systems and an overhaul of transport funding model. Charlton said that despite significant progress by state governments traditional funding systems were outdated, unsustainable and unfair, and cannot sustain the funding needed to address Australia’s transport infrastructure deficit. Charlton said it
    Read More
  • Benefits of traffic data sharing with app developers
    November 10, 2015
    Timothy Compston finds out if exchanging traffic and road condition data with private app developers makes sense for both drivers and road authorities. Much has been said about the potential benefits for authorities in sharing data with traffic and navigation app developers, and receiving ‘crowdsourced’ information in return – so how is it working in practice?
    Read More

Highlighted Content