To think the new outrageous 'pay by phone' parking shiz will obliterate the high street?

[Proudnscary]

In one of London suburbs near me they've installed these pay by phone parking systems. So you cannot pay for parking unless you have your mobile on you. There are no other options.

I had no idea til I got there so was standing in the pissing rain with 2 dc trying to work out who to text and what. Got two fucking texts back telling me I'd done it wrong and to log on and register with a Phoneparking website!!! FFS!!

I also noticed that there were several parking spaces free when usually there are none. So I googled it when I got home and the local shopkeepers are absolutely desperate - takings are down 40% since they installed these stupid things and hiked the prices. This isn't even a particularly affluent area!! There shouldn't be parking fees anyway, it's notbloody central London.

What about older people without phones or who are even less phone literate than me?

Isn't this illegal, that this is the only method of payment?

Doesn't the council realise this is driving people away from small businesses and into the supermarkets or shopping centres, even more than before??

So angry, am I BU, missing something??

[3littlefrogs]

[Proudnscary]

The only hope is that by so many shoppers boycotting these pay by phone parking spaces, revenue will plummet and the greedy, odious council officials will be forced to pay attention (but in the meantime some more vulnerable small businesses will go out of business).

[nativitywreck]

YANBU OP. I loathe this idea. Not every one has a phone! My dad never had one, and I can't even master self checkouts, so I wouldn't be able to use this system either.
They shouldn't have parking charges for small local shops at all.

It's so important to support small shops. If we don't Tesco will literally OWN us.
Incidentally, my local butcher is cheaper than Morrisons. And loads better.

[manicinsomniac]

Wow, you bunch of technophobes! -

I LOVE pay by phone meters. I don't often need to park in places where you have to pay so almost never have money on me and haveing to run into a shop or find a cashpoint htne buy something small all before a warden gave you a ticket was a nightmare. I am never without my mobile phone and cash card and therefore never without a means to pay - brilliant as far as I'm concerned.

But I've never seen a meter with ONLY the phone option. There should definitely be both.

So YANBU

[manicinsomniac]

eek, sorry for all those typos/spelling errors

[OrmIrian]

i agree that councils do seem to like to dump on independent retailers. M&S pulled out of our town about 20 yrs ago and I have never heard a councillor talk about the state of the town without bemoaning the loss of M&S and how important it is to attract more big retailiers Why? Why not attract lots of small unique independents and make the place INTERESTING? Infuriating bloody people. So far their strategy to invite Tesco et al has resulted in the loss of our swimming pool, closure of car parks, and the closure of at least 5 really good independent stores that has been around for years and years. Twats the lot of 'em!

However I find the phone parking ticket quite useful as I rarely have the right change. But it should be in addition to coin machines not instead of. My parents never remember their mobiles and I don't think they are unique amongst their age group.

[Whatmeworry]

I can safely predict even more motorists will go to retail parks where parking is free and easy, and these areas will die that bit faster....

[headfairy]

yanbu, I think it shows a very short sighted planning department in your local council. I do think shop keepers need to form some kind of collective to fight these kinds of impositions. That's one of the things that was clearest from Mary Portas's report on the death of our high streets. Places like Oxford street have a traders association to represent their interests. High streets up and down the country need to get together to make their views known to their council planning department.

I do find it very odd that phone parking is the only option. Most of the meters around here do both.

[AriesWithBellsOn]

I think a lot of them do have such organisations, headfairy. Our town certainly does. The council doesn't listen though.

[3littlefrogs]

Fast forward 20 years and everything will be controlled by Tescos. When you consider the behaviour and morals of the owners, and the way they treat their employees, particularly their attitude to disabled job applicants, I really worry.

[3littlefrogs]

Friend of mine was helping with a recruitment event.....all the applications from people with disabilities were discarded. This was some years ago, but it didn't surprise me.

[3littlefrogs]

However - that is way off the point of the parking issue.

I think local gov. is very much in cahoots with the supermarkets. We go along with it at our peril. What will we do when the big supermarkets control jobs, banking, mortgages, insurance, food, utilities.......................?

[Proudnscary]

It's not way off the point, Frogs. I think it is terrifying that huge companies such as Tesco who are all about making as much profit as possible and nothing else are owning our towns.

And it's an artfully construed myth (via advertising) that supermarkets and big chains offer the best deals.

Since we've made an effort to shop locally (butcher's/fishmonger's etc) we've found prices are lower than in supermarkets.

[troisgarcons]

I spotted these the other day so I just looked up the borough website, I think I might send off a hissy*missive



Searching for change to put in a parking meter is to become a thing of the past for on-street parking in the London Borough of Bexley.

Motorists will be able to pay to park in the Borough using their mobile phone from 15 August.

All of the Borough's on-street parking meters are being replaced with the new way to pay. This will later be offered as an additional alternative payment option in the Borough's pay and display car parks.

The changes are part of the London Borough of Bexley's Strategy 2014 plans and will help save money by reducing cash collections from meters and maintenance costs.

Cabinet Member for Transport and Public Realm Cllr Peter Craske said: "Gone will be the days when you need to queue in the cold and the rain to put the right change into the meter.

"This will make things easier for the majority of motorists and will save the Council money too.

"For those who don't have a mobile phone, our pay and display car parks will still offer the option to pay with coin."

Motorists will only need to register once to use the service and this can be done over the phone, or in advance on the internet.

Once registered, all the motorist needs is the location code, found on the sign where they are planning to park, before selecting the amount of time they wish to park for. There's also an iPhone app available.

There is a 10p flat rate service charge in addition to the parking fees purchased on arrival.

Free reminder emails can be sent when your time is due to expire, or you can opt for a reminder text message for 10p.

VAT receipts will also be available online for business users.

[Proudnscaryvirginmary]

I am writing to the local councillor for all the good it will do.

This doesn't even actually affect me personally as I don't need to use the high street I'm talking about, my local shops are within walking distance - and I have 4 supermarkets to choose from within a 3 mile radius.

But I am so upset for the small businesses and I am so furious that the 'little people' being walked all over by people only interested in profit.

[troisgarcons]

The whole parking thing pisses me off - it has destroyed small towns. As for those fecking camera cars - taking up spaces when you need to nip into the Chemist etc etc - I report them and take photos of them all the time and email them off - I love it when they are illegally parked.

[MrsMuddyPuddles]

I find it depressing that everyone's attitude is to drive somewhere else rather than find a different way of getting around. It's also a bit of a melodramatic OP, though I do agree that it's not going to help things.

[ObviouslyLovesTinsel]

This blog sums up how the borough that I'm talking about went about changing parking. There's also a link to a petition if anyone's interested.

[Whatmeworry]

Didn't Mary Portas just say the blindingly obvious on TV - if you tax town centre parking then people go away?

[ObviouslyLovesTinsel]

Trois I understand that Bexley are suspending charges between Dec 24th and the new year. It's a nice gesture (although a little late - maybe from today would be more useful!) which I doubt Barnet will replicate.

[Chandon]

yanbu OP!

[troisgarcons]

I think Boris has suspended the congestion charge for the week. Again that won't affect me.

Something else has pissed me righ of!

The yellow zig-zgs outside schools. they used to say no parking 8.30-4.30 termtime - now its no parking anytime. exactly why? especially as they are opposite a heavily used parade of shops. I've seen the bastards sitting there in unmarked cars on Boxing Day. Oh I know they are only doing their job - but what total tosser decided this is a good idea?