New parking platform to enable drivers to pay using just one app

Following successful Government-backed trials, a new parking platform enabling drivers to make a payment through a single app will be rolled out nationwide.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the British Parking Association (BPA) will develop and run the ‘national parking platform’, with the aim of providing drivers with a more flexible parking experience.

The platform will enable drivers to pay for parking in all participating car parks on their preferred app, which the Government says will end the scramble to download multiple apps.

It will be delivered by a consortium of companies, including Ringo, JustPark and PayByPhone and led by the BPA.

Currently, drivers face inconsistent parking rules, clunky user experiences and unnecessary barriers to something that should be simple, say ministers.

The national parking platform aims to fix this, connecting participating car parks to a shared platform.

Minister for the future of roads, Lilian Greenwood, said: “I’m delighted that this fantastic project is being taken on by the parking sector with no extra cost to taxpayers. 

“This is public infrastructure done right: built by Government, shaped with councils and now delivered by the sector that knows it best.”

The new agreement will see the parking sector working with councils to run the platform on a not-for-profit basis.

The Government will maintain oversight of the platform by monitoring the sector’s compliance with these terms.

So far, the platform has been rolled out in 10 local authorities and now handles over half a million transactions a month. 

Andrew Pester, BPA chief executive, said: “Today’s announcement marks the result of six years of dedicated work by our parking sector to make paying for parking easier.

“We’ve strongly supported the national parking platform from the start, so we’re thrilled with this outcome and excited to collaborate with the Department for Transport and the new NPP (national parking platform) company to create a better parking experience for all drivers.”

As part of its next steps, the new consortium will be onboarding more local authorities.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Paying to park a car should be one of the simplest things any driver does, but things have got much more complicated in recent years - a point demonstrated by the fact there are so many different mobile parking apps.

“If the arrival of a national parking platform removes that hassle, it’s definitely a welcome move. But the key will be ensuring as many car park operators as possible sign up to the system.

“Ten local authorities taking part is a good start, but drivers wherever they are in the country should be allowed to use whatever mobile app they want.

“We also believe all councils should provide drivers with at least two methods for paying for parking – with one ideally being using a contactless bank card or mobile phone - for those who can’t use a mobile app, or choose not to.”