Government “trouble” targeting multiple parking apps

The government has announced a “one app for all” to pay for parking fees to end the so-called “scramble” to download multiple payment platforms currently facing drivers.

Drivers will be able to pay using any large parking app without having to download new parking apps for each new parking lot, the department said.

The National Parking Platform (NPP) has been in the pilot phase but will now be handed over to an industry body to expand the UK's expansion – although only for the selection of registered parking lots and application providers.

The RAC Drivers Association welcomed this, but said wider action is needed before it can have a real impact on the driver.

“Paid parking should be one of the easiest things any driver does, but things have become increasingly complicated in recent years,” said Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at RAC.

He added: “If the arrival of the national parking platform eliminates the hassle, it would be a welcome move.”

“However, the key will ensure that as many parking operators as possible register the system.”

Under NPP, drivers can use any major parking app in any parking lot registered with the program.

For example, this means that parking lots using the Ringo app will also accept payments from the Justpark app.

The government said this would end the “fight to download multiple apps and encourage a more flexible parking experience”.

According to the government, the trial period included 10 local authorities in England, with more than 5 million transactions conducted during that period.

It said the NPP “will land on more local authorities.”

The NPP literature also says it is open to local authorities and private parking providers across the UK.

The operation of the program has now been moved from the government to the British Parking Association (BPA), which represents the parking field.

“Today's announcement marks six years of dedicated work in our parking industry to make parking costs easier,” said its owner Andrew Pester.

“We have strongly supported the national parking platform from the start, so we are very excited about this result.”

Although BPA bears the government's expenses to run the platform, it says this will not result in higher driver prices.

A spokesman told BBC News: “If we think this will drive increased competition among providers. We expect parking fees to increase.”