More than 20 councils replacing pay and display parking machines with apps

More than 20 councils across England are removing pay and display parking machines and asking people to pay using an app instead.

Eight councils - all in London - have already removed all their machines, while 14 have removed some.

Councils say this saves money by reducing the risk of theft and avoiding the need to upgrade machines.

But charities say the changes are "disastrous" for people without a smartphone, especially the elderly.

A growing number of councils are getting rid of traditional pay and display meters because mobile operators are switching off the 3G networks used to process card payments on older machines.

Councils say there is also a risk of theft from cash machines, while there are costs associated with collecting cash.

The BBC collated figures for 244 councils across England, which are responsible for parking. Out of the 242 councils which had information on their website or responded to requests for comment, eight had removed all their pay and display machines, while 14 had removed some.

Half of all London councils - 16 - have removed some or all of their machines.

Councils which have already removed all their machines include Bromley, Enfield and Kensington and Chelsea.

Others, including Brighton and Hove, and Slough, have removed some machines or are in the process of doing so.

As well as payment via app, many councils also offer the option to pay over the phone or in a local shop.

Out of the councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which responded, none had removed pay and display machines.

Nearly a fifth (19%) of drivers say their council has either scrapped machines or is consulting on doing so, according to a survey of 1,900 drivers by the RAC.

The survey found 59% of respondents felt angry about the idea of machines being removed, with the figure rising to 73% for those aged 65 and older.

Joan Povey lives in Enfield, where the council has removed all its pay and display machines.

The 84-year-old has a smartphone but only uses it for emergency calls and said she does not feel confident using parking apps.

She told the BBC she used to park regularly in Enfield but had done so much less since traditional meters were removed earlier this year and now asks her son to pay for her parking using the app.

"It's inhibited me enormously," she said. "I hate it because I'm 84 but I'm very independent."

Enfield Council said drivers without smartphones could pay by cash or card at local shops or buy parking scratchcards at libraries. It said removing pay and display machines would save the council £44,000 a year.

However, Ms Povey said friends had been unable to find anywhere to buy the scratchcards.

Customers also complain they have to download multiple apps for different areas, with at least 10 apps used by councils across the country.

Amanda Frolich, 53, teaches in nurseries across west London, and has to use parking apps multiple times a week.

She said being forced to download several different apps was "frustrating", along with having to put in her details each time.

"I do get anxious if they're not going to work because I have to be in that nursery at a certain time and I do not have time to then phone up," she told the BBC.

On one occasion she said the app would not work and she had to tell the parking attendant she could not pay. She received a parking ticket despite being told she would not and only avoided a fine after complaining.

"I do feel for the older generation," she added. "My dad only has a brick phone. He would never have a clue what to do."

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said there should always be an off-line payment option to avoid excluding older people and others without a smartphone.

"If you are an older person who is reliant on your car for getting around but you have no means of legally parking it near to where you want to go then you may be left feeling there is little point going there at all, and that would be very sad for anyone affected, and very bad news for businesses too."

Labour MP Clive Betts, who chairs the Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, urged the government to act to prevent people without a smartphone being unable to park.

"We've got to recognise that being able to park is a public service and people need to be able to access it easily," he told the BBC.

In April, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove wrote to councils in England telling them they must ensure parking services remain accessible to all.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokeswoman said: "Councils should determine what is best for their own area and have a duty to ensure that they do not discriminate in their decision-making against older people or those with vulnerabilities."

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: "The removal of the 3G network is posing considerable challenges to some councils who operate physical parking meters.

"This change, along with other customer trends, has led to councils digitising parts of their parking services."