Motorists ‘too busy’ for cashless car parks

COUNCILS should stop introducing pay-by-phone parking because motorists are “too busy” to speak to robots, the AA has said.

Research by the motoring group found that cashless parking machines, which accept payment by calling or texting an automated service, are deeply unpopular.

Some 70 per cent of motorists said they were more likely to keep searching for a space, rather than parking in one where using their mobile to pay was mandatory.

Paying by phone or text can take several minutes as drivers must call a number, select options, enter payment details, and wait for confirmation.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, warned councils against installing cashless ticket machines. He said: “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.”

Councils are installing thousands of cashless parking machines. EU rules mean that by 2020 it will be compulsory to offer cashless payments.

But the shift towards pay-by-phone parking is likely to have been hastened by the new 12-sided £1 coin.

In February, a spokesman at the British Parking Association told The Daily

Telegraph that, instead of updating machines to accept the new coin, some councils were considering making parking machines cashless.