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

Related Content

  • January 18, 2012
    Evidence growing for distance-based charging
    The case is growing for an alternative to fuel taxation for funding highway infrastructure. A more sustainable system of mileage-based charging can be established in a way that is acceptable to the travelling public, writes Jack Opiola. Fuel tax - the lifeblood relied on for 80 years to maintain and improve roads and transit systems - is now in considerable jeopardy in the United States. Increased vehicle fuel efficiency and a poor economy already hamper generation of fuel tax revenue; now a recent federal
    Read More
  • August 4, 2017
    Use of autonomous vehicles and drones expected to rise in US transportation industry
    A recent B2B technology survey by ABI Research of 455 US-based companies across nine verticals finds that 30 per cent of transportation industry respondents plan to introduce robotics into their business operations within the next year, with another 22 per cent actively assessing the technology. Despite notable near-term progress in robotics deployments among the respondents to support e-commerce and delivery growth, their lack of familiarity with nascent technologies such as AR, blockchain, 5G, autonomous
    Read More
  • May 2, 2022
    How Covid has impacted transportation
    How have Covid-induced changes in transportation impacted health? And how can transport companies mitigate these effects? Soheil Sohrabi of S-Plus-M and Texas A&M University explains
    Read More
  • June 8, 2015
    Sprawl spreads the costs and confines the benefits
    A new report says car-centric planning leads to inefficient cities and divided communities as lead author Todd Litman explains. Between 1950 and 2050 the human population will have approximately quadrupled and shifted from 80% rural to nearly 80% urban; by the middle of this century the United Nations predicts an additional 2.2 billion urban residents in developing countries than there are today. How these cities grow has huge economic, social and environmental impacts and implementing proper policies can c
    Read More

Highlighted Content