Parking app rant
Discussion
It's been a good week or two since we had one of these, but WTAF is up with stupid councils and parking apps?! Most of the ones I come across seem to have come about after contactless payments were already ubiquitous, there's usually a coin operated ticket machine (with an advertisement for the app on it) so there's power, and mobile data networks are fine for any authentication needs, so it's not like they were filling a need for the consumer.
I'm yet to come across one that isn't shoddy. So today I thought "aha, I can call a number to pay!". Speech recognition software so bad it didn't even hear half the digits of my number plate; didn't seem to be an issue with my annunciation, it literally didn't register half the digits.
So, I ended up having to install a s
tty app regardless.
Are the operators of these companies in possession of photos of councillors with a tangerine in their mouth and a belt round their neck? Or is it actually helping the council in some way Vs having an NFC device for contactless?
I'm yet to come across one that isn't shoddy. So today I thought "aha, I can call a number to pay!". Speech recognition software so bad it didn't even hear half the digits of my number plate; didn't seem to be an issue with my annunciation, it literally didn't register half the digits.
So, I ended up having to install a s
tty app regardless.Are the operators of these companies in possession of photos of councillors with a tangerine in their mouth and a belt round their neck? Or is it actually helping the council in some way Vs having an NFC device for contactless?
I park a lot in different locations, can spend £100 in week. I have 6 apps registered, they all sort of work once you have them set-up properly, Ringo is probably the one I use the most.
Agree, why can't councils just use the same apps, I went into Camden, London, a while back they now have their own ap, Just Park, they used to use Ringo IIRC, had to set it all up and get a crd registered, all time I could have been working.
Some allow extensions, some don't. Some 2 hours some 4 hrs, it's a PITA. BUT better than a pocket full of cash and running around feeding meters. In the olden days I would often carry £50 in pound coins in my car.
Agree, why can't councils just use the same apps, I went into Camden, London, a while back they now have their own ap, Just Park, they used to use Ringo IIRC, had to set it all up and get a crd registered, all time I could have been working.
Some allow extensions, some don't. Some 2 hours some 4 hrs, it's a PITA. BUT better than a pocket full of cash and running around feeding meters. In the olden days I would often carry £50 in pound coins in my car.
valiant said:
Don’t mind having an app but I do mind having to have several parking apps on my phone because every council, even one’s next to each other, have gone their own way with their parking payment policies.
Some joined up thinking wouldn’t go amiss.
That is also annoying. Some joined up thinking wouldn’t go amiss.
When I'm President for Life the first up against the wall will be these parking app companies, followed shortly by the council workers who didn't think to adopt the same app being used in the same area.
valiant said:
Don’t mind having an app but I do mind having to have several parking apps on my phone because every council, even one’s next to each other, have gone their own way with their parking payment policies.
Some joined up thinking wouldn’t go amiss.
Most councils can't find their arses or their elbows let alone be aware of the 'joined up thinking' concept. My Mum's local one couldn't manage to send out an invoice for £16k covering care fees for over 12 months until threatened with non payment as probate was being granted.Some joined up thinking wouldn’t go amiss.
Still they did manage to double book the crematorium for her funeral.
On balance they are bunch of idiots who seem incapable of doing the basics required correctly.
Councils and joined up thinking just don't go together, Ever! Mine just seems to wing it, be it parking, new cycle and bus lanes that now cause congestion where before traffic ran fine, or swapping bin collections around, then reverting to the system that ran fine and everyone was used to! 'kin Idiots who wouldn't get a job anywhere else! 
Short Grain said:
Councils and joined up thinking just don't go together, Ever! Mine just seems to wing it, be it parking, new cycle and bus lanes that now cause congestion where before traffic ran fine, or swapping bin collections around, then reverting to the system that ran fine and everyone was used to! 'kin Idiots who wouldn't get a job anywhere else!
No, no! They have to pay their officers "a competitive salary" (ie lots more money than the private sector) otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get such good peopleWhat has angered me is in Folkestone and probably others, the app has a "convenience fee". So on top of the parking, you pay to use the app (and if you don't unclick things pay for a reminder txt). To me, the charge for the service should come out of the parking charge as the council no longer needs to pay for the upkeep and collection of ticket machines it should work out.
I find the parking apps very useful especially when you want to extend your stay.
Yesterday we went and did a bit of retail therapy so just had 2hours parking. However decided on spur of the moment to have lunch whilst out.
Simply extended parking time via app so no panic over time expiring or having to go back to the carpark.
Yesterday we went and did a bit of retail therapy so just had 2hours parking. However decided on spur of the moment to have lunch whilst out.
Simply extended parking time via app so no panic over time expiring or having to go back to the carpark.
I find it annoying that when you pay by app, some add on a service charge. So £1.20 in parking becomes £1.29. How is that meant to encourage you to use an app? It's normalising additional charges. I thought the rules were, you pay the same with cash vs. card?
Going forward I'm on a crusade to keep cash alive. Cash keeps card fees down. If cash disappears card acquirers will ramp card fees up to near 10% and all the card only people will be bhin'.
Going forward I'm on a crusade to keep cash alive. Cash keeps card fees down. If cash disappears card acquirers will ramp card fees up to near 10% and all the card only people will be b
hin'.Type R Tom said:
What has angered me is in Folkestone and probably others, the app has a "convenience fee". So on top of the parking, you pay to use the app (and if you don't unclick things pay for a reminder txt). To me, the charge for the service should come out of the parking charge as the council no longer needs to pay for the upkeep and collection of ticket machines it should work out.
Our council uses an app (with the 10p on top). Our machines still need looking after and emptying as we also accept cash. Plus they still need someone to check that everyone has paid (in whatever payment form)To go against the prevailing feeling here, I’d have to say I like them. Much better than faffing with coins and having to come back to the meter to extend etc
Do I wish the apps were better? Yes.
Do I wish we could consolidate down to fewer apps? For sure.
But overall, I’d much rather use the apps than go back to the old way of doing it. It was a pain in the backside when they first came in and having to regularly download and sign up for yet another different one, but once you’ve done that once it’s there and you don’t have to do it again. Just counted - 7 on the phone now, and haven’t had to download one in a long time.
Do I wish the apps were better? Yes.
Do I wish we could consolidate down to fewer apps? For sure.
But overall, I’d much rather use the apps than go back to the old way of doing it. It was a pain in the backside when they first came in and having to regularly download and sign up for yet another different one, but once you’ve done that once it’s there and you don’t have to do it again. Just counted - 7 on the phone now, and haven’t had to download one in a long time.
pip t said:
To go against the prevailing feeling here, I’d have to say I like them. Much better than faffing with coins and having to come back to the meter to extend etc
Do I wish the apps were better? Yes.
Do I wish we could consolidate down to fewer apps? For sure.
But overall, I’d much rather use the apps than go back to the old way of doing it. It was a pain in the backside when they first came in and having to regularly download and sign up for yet another different one, but once you’ve done that once it’s there and you don’t have to do it again. Just counted - 7 on the phone now, and haven’t had to download one in a long time.
My objection is that we already have a ubiquitous system for low value cashless payments; contactless cards. To a lesser degree, Google Pay and Apple Pay. I might be doing PH-level "everyone does what I do" bias here, but I'd imagine most people wouldn't drive to somewhere without having one or more contactless forms of payment. It feels like having to stop before entering a motorway to buy special M25 petrol, then stopping again to buy special M1 petrol and so on, when you already have a tank of generic use-everywhere petrol.Do I wish the apps were better? Yes.
Do I wish we could consolidate down to fewer apps? For sure.
But overall, I’d much rather use the apps than go back to the old way of doing it. It was a pain in the backside when they first came in and having to regularly download and sign up for yet another different one, but once you’ve done that once it’s there and you don’t have to do it again. Just counted - 7 on the phone now, and haven’t had to download one in a long time.
The only advantage of the apps to the consumer that I can see is the ability to show invoices for business expenses, but TBH that's a bit nugatory unless you use your personal card for expenses AND the machines don't print receipts AND have a hard-nosed accountant who won't accept any unreceipted expenses even for zero-rated VAT despite also having the mileage claim for the same trip. Seems like a Venn diagram with a tiny overlap
donkmeister said:
My objection is that we already have a ubiquitous system for low value cashless payments; contactless cards. To a lesser degree, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
I found that a decent % of Councils, allow payment by contactless card, but their bank account facility does not support Google Pay/Apple Pay.I remember contacting Crawley Borough Council, when I had to park regularly in one car park, and their machines wouldn't accept payment by mobile.
"Oh yeah, our bank account type doesn't do contactless phone payments."
mcdjl said:
Oh, you're in your other car today. Good luck changing that on the app.
Oh, you need the app but there's no phone signal here. Good luck phoning us.
Please pay the convenience fee.
Hateful things.
Don't know about other apps but Ringgo lets you register more than one car.Oh, you need the app but there's no phone signal here. Good luck phoning us.
Please pay the convenience fee.
Hateful things.
Had a peculiar problem last month when the app wouldn't work for no apparent reason. Phoned up instead, dreading a bucketful of grief but thankfully that's all automated (voice recognition/keypad) and it was almost as quick as using the app.
Edited by Halmyre on Tuesday 24th May 08:29
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