Paying for a car parking space can be as frustrating as searching for one in the first place, a survey has revealed.
It revealed that drivers are facing significant headaches now that they’re being left little option but to use parking apps rather than tap and pay with their bank cards or coins.
Many councils have removed pay-and-display machines from their car parks and told drivers to use smartphone applications instead, to save money.
But nearly three-quarters of drivers polled who have used a parking app said they have faced difficulty when doing so.
The RAC, which commissioned the research, urged parking operators to offer at least two different methods of payment, adding that motorists should not be ‘forced to use an app’.
The survey of 1,709 drivers found 73 per cent of those who had used a mobile app to pay for parking in the previous 12 months had suffered problems.
Most said they preferred using bank cards (46 per cent) or cash (33 per cent), compared with the 30 per cent who favoured an app.
The RAC’s survey indicated the most common frustration – experienced by 70 per cent of drivers while using parking apps – is a lack of signal.
This was followed by the application not correctly recognising the car park being used (36 per cent), and the app crashing (35 per cent).
One in eight respondents said they could not work out how to use the app, a figure that doubled to one in four among motorists aged 75 and older.
More than a third of drivers (36 per cent) who use parking apps have at least three installed on their phone, while 15 per cent have four or more.
In May, the Government announced the launch of the National Parking Platform, which is aimed at enabling drivers to pay for parking in all participating car parks using their preferred app.
It said at the time that drivers face ‘inconsistent parking rules, clunky user experiences and unnecessary barriers’.
The RAC said 10 local authorities are using the service including city councils in Manchester, Liverpool and Coventry.
More are expected to sign up shortly.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: ‘Mobile apps have an important and increasing role to play when it comes to parking our vehicles, and the best ones make parking an easier task for many of us.
‘But our figures show there’s still plenty drivers find frustrating about using them – whether that’s a lack of mobile signal, problems registering bank cards, or the app crashing or behaving strangely.
‘All parking operators, whether public or private, should offer drivers at least two different ways to pay.
‘No-one should be forced to use a mobile app when parking if they don’t want to, especially those who struggle with technology or just don’t have a smartphone.’
Mr Dennis encouraged drivers to ensure they have downloaded the latest version of each parking app they use, to reduce the chances of them not functioning properly.
Recent Government figures show English councils made a £1.2billion surplus from parking in the last financial year.
