- Paying for parking with cash remains the preferred option for
older drivers and low income households
- Younger Drivers prefer contactless payment, Chip & Pin or
app before using cash
- Pay by phone the last resort across all ages
Cash is still the number one option to pay for parking amongst
drivers, but young drivers prefer to leave their coins at home
according to a study by the AA.
More than two fifths (46%*) of drivers say that paying for
parking for cash it their first choice, rising to more than half
of older drivers (aged 65+ 56%) and three fifths for low income
households (62%). Chip & Pin payments come second with
contactless payment with a card or smartphone third. Paying via
an app and by phone complete the top five.
However, younger drivers (aged 18-24) are ready to shun notes and
coins in favour of cards and technology. Half (49%) say their
first choice for parking payments is by contactless payment, with
Chip & Pin second and apps third.
HOW DRIVERS PREFER TO PAY FOR PARKING (ALL DRIVERS
COMPARED TO DRIVERS AGED 18-24)
|
Rank
|
Parking payment preference (All drivers)
|
Parking payment preference (18-24 only)
|
|
1.
|
Cash
|
Contactless via card/smartphone
|
|
2.
|
Chip & Pin
|
Chip & Pin
|
|
3.
|
Contactless via card/smartphone
|
Via an app
|
|
4.
|
Via an app
|
Cash
|
|
5.
|
By Phone
|
By phone
|
The research comes as many local authorities across the UK
changed their policies to allow cashless payments only during the
height of the pandemic to reduce cash being handled by multiple
people therefore reducing the spread of the virus.
Some councils also said moving to cashless options reduced costs
as it saved on repairs and meant theives could not steal the cash
sat in the machine.
While offering cashless payments is popular amongst younger
drivers, older drivers and low income households prefer to manage
their budgets with cash and want the flexibility to pay for
parking with coins and then spend any change in the local High
Street.
The AA is asking councils to retain pay by cash parking machines
to ensure drivers of all ages and backgrounds can access local
shops and facilities.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said; “For now,
cash remains king when paying for parking, however, a speedy
transition to an increasingly cashless society is paving a way
that could threaten to lock older drivers and low income
households out of their town centre.
“Many households prefer to physically see their budgets and doing
so gives them a heightened sense of how much their cash can go.
Removing cash parking machines from town centres can have a knock
on effect to the local economy as would be shoppers decide to
take their business elsewhere.
“With parking income the equivilent of three quarters of council
tax revenue** for some authorities, Council Leaders will not want
to lose a vaulable source of funding.
“Considering the low levels of support for pay by phone options,
councils could drop this option altogether but won’t as many add
transaction fees to the hourly rate which help boost their
coffers.”
ends
NOTES TO EDITORS:
* AA Yonder Driver Poll, July 2021. 14,681 respondents
** https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/355823/councils-bank-record-ps176bn-profit-car-park-charges-and-fines
