Five apps, one car – parking doesn’t have to be this hard
26 May 2025, 15:21
Parking has become too complicated – are we at a turning point?
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Parking a car – or motorbike for that matter – should be one of the simplest things any of us do. But there’s no doubt in the eyes of many people that it’s become more complicated in recent years. Whether it’s the rise of ‘quishing’ QR code scams at payment machines, councils removing machines altogether and forcing people to use mobile apps, or just the sheer number of parking apps we’re now expected to use, there’s so much more to think about.
This week there was at least some good news about this last problem. Like many people, I have a colourful array of separate parking apps on my phone – five at the time of writing – to ensure I can park without fuss wherever I am. That’s five different apps I need to get to grips with, and five different companies I’m sharing my details with. All just so I can park my car. Previous research has pointed to drivers’ frustration in having to do the same.
The announcement about the long-awaited National Parking Platform (‘NPP’) should therefore be welcome. This should allow drivers to use whichever parking app they prefer, whenever they’re at a participating car park.
Of course, the success of the NPP depends on enough parking operators getting on board. So far, 10 councils have trialled it, but we need that number to grow rapidly and include private parking operators too – or risk the platform never becoming truly ‘national’. Drivers should also be able to easily identify every NPP ‘enabled’ car park, know with full certainty they’re paying to park at the right one, and not have to pay any more just because their using their chosen app.
But there’s another important point that mustn’t be forgotten in all of this. While many people are comfortable using apps to pay to park, not everybody is. And there’s also the issue of apps not working when you need them to – whether that’s because of a technology glitch or a lack of mobile network service which is still sadly very much an issue. That’s why it’s vital that all parking operators continue to provide different options for paying, beyond apps. As a bare minimum, you should also be able to use a contactless bank card.
The National Parking Platform has the potential to make drivers’ lives that little bit easier. After all, everybody’s got more important things to think about than parking.
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Rod Dennis is senior policy officer at the RAC.
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