Are drivers who pay with cash when parking being discriminated against?

7th Aug 2023

Drivers in the Sutton Council area of South London are facing 'discriminatory' parking fees for those who use cash rather than an app.

The local authority – ran by the Liberal Democrats – increased its car parking prices in June for people using machines to pay. However, they maintained the previous cost for drivers who use an app or called the telephone number on the nearest machine.

In response, Sutton Council stated that the decision was due to the rising cost of maintaining parking machines across the area.

Barry Lewis, Sutton Council's Chair of the Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee, said: “In order to keep our prices low, we are encouraging all our residents and visitors to go cashless when paying for parking, with the incentive being a discounted rate.

“Maintaining the cash machines and collecting the money from our car parks has become more expensive. The charge for paying for parking by cash has increased to cover these costs.

“We understand concerns about people who don't have a smartphone, but you can also pay using a dedicated phone line. This means that those who do not have a smartphone are not excluded from benefiting from the discounted rate.

“Unlike other councils who have completely removed the option for people to pay by cash, residents and visitors to Sutton still have the option to pay by cash at our parking machines.”

The June update to the cost of parking at council-owned car parks for an hour costs £3 if paid for at a machine but just £2 via the RingGo app or phone service.

A statement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, read: “This practice unfairly penalises those who choose to pay at parking machines, and we ask that Sutton Council reconsiders their policy.

“Councils have a duty to ensure that they do not discriminate in their decision making against older people or those with vulnerabilities.”

Following this, Conservative MP Greg Smith, who is a member of the Transport Select Committee, commented: “Councils should not seek to rip off those who still want to use a pay and display machine. Whilst the vast majority of us now use parking apps, there are many who can't or don't want to.”

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “To make the cheapest parking available only to those that use apps is nothing short of discriminatory.

“While there’s no denying that parking apps can make drivers’ lives easier, as everyone with a mobile phone knows the technology is far from infallible – if the signal fails or isn’t strong enough, this leaves drivers who have made every effort to pay to park in an impossible position.

“It can’t be right that those who find themselves in this situation, or who struggle with technology in the first place, end up having to pay more just to park their cars.

“We fear this kind of promotional pricing for parking in the borough could be a precursor to the council removing machines for good, something which other local authorities have already started doing.

“This would see drivers forced to use apps to pay to park whether they like it or not, something which our research clearly shows a majority of drivers of all ages are against.”

What do you make of the news? What can be done to make parking fairer in the UK? Leave your comments below.