Twenty years ago, the biggest faff for drivers was finding enough coins to put into the parking meter.
Today, that problem is largely gone, but in its place is another one: having to download a library of different apps to pay on your phone.
Different car parks use different providers, meaning you may have to use Ringo one day and JustPark the next, making things unnecessarily confusing – especially for older people who never wanted the change in the first place.
The government has been trying to make things simpler for some time by letting people use whichever app they prefer, connected behind the scenes to the National Parking Platform.
But after a pilot scheme run in ten local authorities, they pulled taxpayer funding at the end of March, leading to fears that it would never materialise.
Today, they announced that parking apps themselves would now operate and fund the service.
Led by trade body the British Parking Association, they will now offer a ‘one size fits all’ service in collaboration with local councils.
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So if you prefer using PayByPhone, soon you will be able to use it even in car parks you previously had to use a different app for.
Why will this help me?
As well as freeing up space on your phone, the government said it will avoid ‘inconsistent parking rules, clunky user experiences and unnecessary barriers to something that should be simple’.
It is expected to reduce the risk of parking fines, and improve the experience for consumers due to increased competition between apps.
When will it take effect?
The ten local authorities already using the platform will not see any chance, and can continue using it.
For next steps, the new consortium will onboarding more local authorities ‘imminently’, the government said.
While they didn’t provide a specific time frame, they said this would ensure that easier parking ‘is rolled out to more drivers as soon as possible’.
‘Saving time, resources and costs’
Anthony Eskinazi, founder of JustPark, has been elected as a Director of the Sub-Committee at the British Parking Association, responsible for now rolling out the new platform.
He said: ‘The NPP marks a major milestone in the modernisation of parking nationwide.’
‘By allowing drivers to choose their preferred parking app, it eliminates unnecessary complexity and makes parking simpler and more convenient.
Will this make your life easier?
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Yes, having to use lots of different apps is annoying
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No, it's never really bothered me
‘It has other benefits too. Giving drivers freedom of choice fosters a more competitive landscape amongst UK parking providers. It will encourage us to be even more innovative, providing improved features and services for drivers.
‘Ultimately, this will raise standards across the entire industry.
‘For local authorities, the advantages are equally clear. With over 600 councils across the UK currently required to regularly run individual procurement processes for parking providers, The NPP now prevents the need for these – reducing inefficiencies, saving time, resources and costs.
‘At a time when public budgets are under pressure, this helps councils focus their resources where they are needed most and ultimately deliver savings for taxpayers.’
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