National app could end parking headaches for drivers

Motorists will soon only need a single app to pay for parking under new plans that aim to end the chaos of needing multiple different apps.

Under a project announced by the Ministry of Transport on Thursday, all municipalities must consider formally signing up to the National Park Platform (NPP) initiative, which has so far been voluntary.

It will allow drivers to use any parking app they want, connecting multiple parking providers to thousands of locations across the UK.

Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, said: “Paying to park a car should be one of the simplest tasks any motorist undertakes, but with so many different mobile parking payment apps now available, things have become a bit more complicated.

“The launch of the National Parking Platform has the potential to change this by giving drivers the chance to use a single app of their choice. We now need as many operators as possible to join the program to make parking easier for everyone.”

The startup currently processes approximately 10.3 million transactions each year across more than 1,200 parking lots. Applications such as Ring Go, APCOA Parking, JustPark and PayByPhone have also joined this plan.

Tina McKenzie, head of policy at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Parking remains a huge problem for local businesses, particularly on high streets and in our town centres. Measures that make the process of paying for parking easier and less confusing are crucial in attracting customers to our high streets.”

The plans come as part of a new transport strategy that includes a £6 million ‘Mini Switzerland’ integrated bus and rail network in the Peak District’s Hope Valley and more powers for councils to introduce contactless, touch-and-go travel.

The government has also announced a partnership with Google Maps that will allow passengers across the UK to track their buses live.

Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said: “For too long, getting from A to B has been more complicated than it needs to be. People want journeys to be easy and reliable. They want to be able to get off the train and directly onto the bus without having to deal with a confusing system or buying separate tickets for each part of their journey.

“That’s why we’re empowering local leaders to build simpler, more accessible and better-connected transport networks, improving daily journeys and supporting growth in every corner of the country.”