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| Parking by app 'digitally excludes older drivers' | Parking by app 'digitally excludes older drivers' |
| (14 days later) | |
| Tallow Hill car park is one of the five in Worcester where users will only be able to pay by app or phoneline, from July | Tallow Hill car park is one of the five in Worcester where users will only be able to pay by app or phoneline, from July |
| Five car parks in Worcester are to go cashless from July following problems last year at 14 sites. | Five car parks in Worcester are to go cashless from July following problems last year at 14 sites. |
| Worcester council says this is "in response to a decline in cash payments and an increase in app usage". | Worcester council says this is "in response to a decline in cash payments and an increase in app usage". |
| But Age UK has warned that the 2.4 million people aged 65 and over in the UK, who still rely on cash, risk being marginalised by such moves. | But Age UK has warned that the 2.4 million people aged 65 and over in the UK, who still rely on cash, risk being marginalised by such moves. |
| Councils using the third party apps say it saves money on machine maintenance and is more secure and convenient. | Councils using the third party apps say it saves money on machine maintenance and is more secure and convenient. |
| In Worcester the car parks affected are Clare Street, Tallow Hill, Tybridge Street, Commandery Road and The Moors. | In Worcester the car parks affected are Clare Street, Tallow Hill, Tybridge Street, Commandery Road and The Moors. |
| However Jane Mowat, a driver at Tallow Hill, said: " I wouldn't even know how to download the app, so I would probably just go home." | However Jane Mowat, a driver at Tallow Hill, said: " I wouldn't even know how to download the app, so I would probably just go home." |
| Driver Janet Mowat says "I don't use my mobile phone much and I don't know what I'd do if no-one could help me" | Driver Janet Mowat says "I don't use my mobile phone much and I don't know what I'd do if no-one could help me" |
| And Age UK states "39% of over 65s don't feel confident using a smartphone" and struggle to deal with problems such as poor network connectivity. | And Age UK states "39% of over 65s don't feel confident using a smartphone" and struggle to deal with problems such as poor network connectivity. |
| There are an estimated 30 parking apps in use in the UK. To pay, a user must find the right app to download, set up a payment account and find the right location for the car park. | There are an estimated 30 parking apps in use in the UK. To pay, a user must find the right app to download, set up a payment account and find the right location for the car park. |
| Another driver, Ian James, said: "I've just used the app - [but an] error message occurred. We've gone through this three times so I'm forced to go and find another car park. | Another driver, Ian James, said: "I've just used the app - [but an] error message occurred. We've gone through this three times so I'm forced to go and find another car park. |
| "Technology, when it works it's great, but when it doesn't, there's no way you can work around it." | "Technology, when it works it's great, but when it doesn't, there's no way you can work around it." |
| In Herefordshire and Worcester, Age UK says "we're hearing from more and more people who are finding that their usual car parks are becoming app-only and that's actually putting them off going out because they know they haven't got the skills to deal with that". | In Herefordshire and Worcester, Age UK says "we're hearing from more and more people who are finding that their usual car parks are becoming app-only and that's actually putting them off going out because they know they haven't got the skills to deal with that". |
| Tell us your experiences of using council car parking apps? Get in touch. | |
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| 'Harder to make living' | 'Harder to make living' |
| As a result, high-street retailers fear the problem is reducing the number of people going shopping. | As a result, high-street retailers fear the problem is reducing the number of people going shopping. |
| Dee Archer, owner of Snips hair salon in Stratford-upon-Avon, said: "Not everybody has a phone that they can put the app on and my older clients are struggling with this. It is going to drive people out of the town centre. | Dee Archer, owner of Snips hair salon in Stratford-upon-Avon, said: "Not everybody has a phone that they can put the app on and my older clients are struggling with this. It is going to drive people out of the town centre. |
| "I've owned my business for 30 years and it's becoming harder and harder in Stratford to make a living". | "I've owned my business for 30 years and it's becoming harder and harder in Stratford to make a living". |
| Warwickshire council say "there are no plans to remove the option for cash payments at on-street parking sites. We want parking to remain stress free for everyone". | Warwickshire council say "there are no plans to remove the option for cash payments at on-street parking sites. We want parking to remain stress free for everyone". |
| Peter Paphides says he got a call from his father, who was "panicking and in a state of high anxiety" over trying to use a parking app before attending a memorial service | Peter Paphides says he got a call from his father, who was "panicking and in a state of high anxiety" over trying to use a parking app before attending a memorial service |
| In Birmingham however, journalist Peter Paphides' elderly father died weeks after struggling to pay for parking in April 2022 left him anxious about being fined. | In Birmingham however, journalist Peter Paphides' elderly father died weeks after struggling to pay for parking in April 2022 left him anxious about being fined. |
| Mr Paphides was left to deal with the parking fine, a process which took days to resolve as PaybyPhone required a death certificate, which he was still waiting for himself. | Mr Paphides was left to deal with the parking fine, a process which took days to resolve as PaybyPhone required a death certificate, which he was still waiting for himself. |
| He says digital exclusion "has the effect of making old people, who already have a tendency to feel invisible, feel like the world is not really for them anymore". | He says digital exclusion "has the effect of making old people, who already have a tendency to feel invisible, feel like the world is not really for them anymore". |
| It comes in the wake of the continuing closure of bank branches causing similar problems and a recent Bank of England warning that cash is becoming "less usable" as more and more shops focus on only digital payment methods. | It comes in the wake of the continuing closure of bank branches causing similar problems and a recent Bank of England warning that cash is becoming "less usable" as more and more shops focus on only digital payment methods. |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Cash | Cash |
| Elderly people | Elderly people |
| Money | Money |
| Stratford-upon-Avon | Stratford-upon-Avon |
| Parking | Parking |
| Birmingham | Birmingham |
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