Parking Apps Are Taking Over – But Millions of Older Drivers Are Being Left Behind

There’s a new push to simplify parking across the UK, but it might be leaving a fair chunk of drivers quietly stranded at the ticket machine.

The Government is encouraging councils in England to roll out the National Parking Platform (NPP), a system designed to let motorists pay for parking using a single app instead of juggling multiple ones depending on the car park. In theory, it’s a tidy solution to a genuinely annoying problem.

In practice? Not everyone’s along for the ride.

According to breakdown provider Start Rescue, around 2.9 million older drivers could struggle to use the new system. That’s based on Ofcom data suggesting only 68% of over-65s use a smartphone to go online, out of roughly 9.2 million drivers in that age group.
‍

So while app-based parking might feel second nature to some, millions are still relying on cash, cards, or simpler contactless options. And when those disappear, it’s not just inconvenient – it can mean parking further away, or in less suitable spots.

Start Rescue’s managing director, Lee Puffett, sums it up neatly: “This is a fundamentally sound idea, but it has to recognise that many drivers, and particularly older drivers, prefer to pay with cash, bank card or their phone using the likes of Apple Pay. Weak phone signal, bad lighting, and poor parking signage all contribute to making parking payments trickier for older drivers.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by the Older Drivers Forum, which is urging councils not to go all-in on digital. The message is simple: keep alternative payment options, or risk excluding a significant portion of road users.

The NPP could genuinely make parking easier. But like any bit of tech, it only really works if everyone can use it.

startrescue.co.uk

‍