Labour is set to force local councils across England to adopt a new parking system in a bid to crack down on confusing rules and “unfair” fines hitting drivers.
Under the plans, local authorities will be pushed to sign up to the National Parking Platform, a nationwide scheme allowing motorists to pay using one app across multiple car parks.
The move has been designed to end the current system, where drivers often have to download multiple apps in different areas to park.
The Government will use statutory guidance to tell more councils to use the “one-stop-shop” parking app, aiming to more than double the number of councils which currently use the app.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the system is already proving its value, with more than 10 million transactions taking place.
Currently, only 15 councils have signed up to the platform, but this number will rise sharply due to pressure from the Government.
New official guidance will be issued to pressure councils into joining, with local authorities being expected to follow the new rules, despite it not being set in law.
Under the scheme, drivers can use major apps like RingGo, JustPark and PayByPhone at any participating car park, removing the need to download multiple apps.
So far, only 15 councils have begun using the new system
|
GETTY
The platform has already handled hundreds of thousands of payments each month after being rolled out nationwide last year.
Originally, the app was developed by the Government last year before being taken over by the British Parking Association on a “not-for-profit” basis.
Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said the changes are about backing motorists to provide them with “simpler, more flexible parking”.
The plans form part of Labour’s wider “Better Connected” transport strategy, which aims to improve journeys across England.
The new parking measures hope to make it easier for drivers to pay for parking
|
GETTYNotably, the Government hinted that it would also look to expand the system in the future to include electric vehicle charging as well as new road tolls, allowing drivers to manage all road payments in one place.
“The way we drive is changing and so should the technology, which is why our Better Connected strategy will encourage more local councils to adopt the parking platform and then look to expand it beyond, to things like electric vehicle charging and paying tolls,” Ms Alexander added.
However, the announcement follows mounting frustration with existing parking apps, with nearly three-quarters of drivers reporting problems using them in the past year.
Common complaints from drivers include poor mobile signal, app crashes, and systems failing to recognise the correct car park, the RAC found.
Many motorists have also been forced to juggle multiple apps to park across the UK, with some having four or more installed.
Under the plans, drivers will soon be able to pay for parking through one platform
|
PAMeanwhile, separate studies suggested that nearly half of UK drivers say they have been unfairly fined while using parking apps.
RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Paying to park a car should be one of the simplest tasks any driver does, but with a plethora of different mobile parking payment apps now in existence, things have got a little more complicated.
“The roll-out of the National Parking Platform has the potential to change that, giving drivers the chance to use a single app of their choice. We now need as many operators as possible to join the scheme to make parking easier for everyone.”