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Perry imposes smartphone parking system – from next week

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Car-loving Croydon Mayor Jason Perry is going ahead with the removal of all the borough’s parking meters and is imposing the use of a third-party smartphone app which charges users even for “free” parking.

Not listening: £82,000 per year Mayor Jason Perry

The council will start turning off the pay-and-display parking machines as soon as next Thursday, March 7, and no cash payments will be available by the end of this month. Motorists will have to use the RingGo app system, or find a nearby shop able to accept payment.

Four “trials” of the smart app system were staged in different parts of the borough, with the overwhelming response being that many motorists, particularly older residents and those who don’t own a smartphone, were unfairly discriminated against by the new system.

The council is removing its parking meters because the 3G networks they use are being shut down. The cash-strapped council has dismissed any possibility of replacing its parking meters with more modern equipment. The council has not published any equalities impact assessment for older residents and the disabled arising from its trials.

“It was so important to hear feedback and learn of the potential issues that could arise. We know that these types of changes can be challenging, so we have listened and made adjustments,” Mayor Perry said, in a council press release sneaked out from the propaganda bunker after 5pm on a Friday evening, less than seven days before the council parking meters will begin to be switched off.

During the trials, some motorists discovered that they incurred a 20p administration charge from RingGo for using the app when logging in for what was supposed to be a “free” parking period.

The council press release laid it on thick about the 3G networks. But they failed to mention that equipping the borough’s car parks and streets with modern equipment is possible – just not without costs, which could be funded from the millions of pounds income that the council receives each year from resident parking permits, parking fees and motoring fines.

“Croydon’s pay and display parking machines are set to change over the coming months, mainly because they operate on the 3G mobile network, which is due to be shutdown during the course of this year,” read a council statement.

From March 7, “pay and display machines will no longer be able to accept cash, as this function will be turned off in batches across the borough”, the council said, with March 31 being the cut-off date for the last of the borough’s parking meters accepting cash. Some meters “will still accept card payment until the 3G network is shutdown”, the council says, without managing to identify which ones.

“It is anticipated that all pay and display machines will be shutdown by the end of June 2024, when the use of RingGo, Paypoint [payments in participating local shops], and phone parking will replace them fully across the borough.

The council said that from its trials, “it was clear motorists want options available for cash payments, so the council has developed a ‘Paypoint’ option, where people can visit any shop that offers ‘Paypoint’ and book a free parking session, or a paid session, with cash or card”.

For those who do not have a smartphone, free parking sessions can be booked by phoning RingGo on 020 3046 0010.

But according to the council’s cheery press release, “The best and most convenient way to park is via the RingGo parking app, available to download for free on both Apple and Android devices.” Convenient? For whom?

The council added a line to say that it “does not make any additional charge for use of RingGo”.

But RingGo does make its own admin charges, with users paying 20p a time for text reminders. “These notifications can be easily switched off in the app settings,” according to the council.

“We had a lot of response to our trials and have taken steps to address a vast majority of concerns, with options for Paypoint and the ability to phone RingGo to book a session added to our payment options,” simpered piss-poor Perry.

There is a survey on the council website for residents’ feedback, but that won’t be available until March 7 – after the start of the parking meter shutdown.

The council survey can be found by clicking here, or by emailing parking@croydon.gov.uk.

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