Latest news with #AnthonyEskinazi
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
New parking rules come into force for millions of drivers in England
The new parking rules have come into force, which will allow drivers to pay for their parking on their preferred app, rather than having to download multiple different payment apps All drivers in England can look forward to a major change that's set to make parking a whole lot easier. The Labour Party government has introduced the new National Parking Platform, which promises to end the scourge of unjust parking fines and offers a single app solution for payment. Labour announced plans to implement the National Parking Platform to allow motorists to use their chosen app for parking payments, rather than juggling several apps. Anthony Eskinazi, founder and president of JustPark, is now a director of the National Parking Platform. He said: "By allowing drivers to choose their preferred parking app, it eliminates unnecessary complexity and makes parking simpler and more convenient. It is ultimately about giving drivers genuine choice over their preferred app. "JustPark is proud to have contributed to shaping the platform's vision, and as a company, we will continue to support its roll-out across the country, led by the British Parking Association." Rod Dennis from the RAC welcomed the initiative, saying: "Paying to park a car should be one of the simplest things any driver does, but things have got much more complicated in recent years - a point demonstrated by the fact there are so many different mobile parking apps. "If the arrival of a National Parking Platform removes that hassle, it's definitely a welcome move. But the key will be ensuring as many car park operators as possible sign up to the system." Labour Party Minister of the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, said: "This government is on the side of drivers and dedicated to giving everyone simpler, more flexible parking. Delighted at the lack of taxpayer burden, she added: "I'm delighted that this fantastic project is being taken on by the parking sector with no extra cost to taxpayers." Expanding on infrastructure improvements, Birmingham Live reports that Ms Greenwood said: "This is public infrastructure done right: built by government, shaped with councils and now delivered by the sector that knows it best, at a time where we're investing a record £1.6 billion through our Plan for Change, to mend our pothole-ridden roads that damage cars and £4.8 billion to deliver new road infrastructure that will better connect people." BPA Chief Executive Andrew Pester also weighed in with enthusiasm for the initiative, saying: "Today's announcement marks the result of 6 years of dedicated work by our parking sector to make paying for parking easier." In light of their support for the National Parking Platform, he expressed his excitement: "We've strongly supported the National Parking Platform from the start, so we're thrilled with this outcome and excited to collaborate with the Department for Transport and the new NPP company to create a better parking experience for all drivers."
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How did parking meters become so complicated - and expensive?
The frustration of seemingly having to download a different parking app every time you park somewhere new may be coming to an end. Earlier this week, the government announced it was launching a "one app fits all" approach to paying for parking. The National Parking Platform (NPP) has been designed by the government and will now be handed over to the industry to manage. Under the NPP, drivers can use any of the main parking apps in any car park which is signed up to the scheme. This means that if you have the PayByPhone app on your phone, you will be able to use it to pay for a parking spot that uses the JustPark app. The government said this would end the "scramble to download multiple apps and encouraging a more flexible parking experience." The app will only work with organisations that have signed up to the NPP, and the process of bringing each app, business, private car park and local authority on board may take some time. But the government said the trial period with 10 local authorities had been a success with more than half a million transactions handled. According to the RAC, there are more than 30 different parking apps available in the UK. They've seen rapid growth in recent years, with the first apps appearing in Europe in the late 2000s. The first app in the UK was RingGo, but it has since been joined by other big businesses like JustPark and PayByPhone. On top of this, there are numerous small businesses that operate locally. Anthony Eskinazi, the chief executive of JustPark The Times last year that businesses like his were working to make traditional pay and display machines extinct. He said he did not envisage any cash-strapped local authority buying a parking meter "past 2025." For years, customers have found it frustrating being required to download an app in a car park, often with poor signal, only to then be told they need to sign up and wait for multiple pages to load, before they can even pay for their ticket. In a survey carried out by Autocar last year, they found 83% of the 1,387 people who were surveyed said they preferred to use contactless card payments or cash to park, rather than downloading and creating an account for the many different apps used today. The business model varies from company to company, but most apps make money by signing contracts with local authorities or private firms to facilitate parking, then earning a commission on each payment. Most of these apps don't own any assets, their business model is to help landowners make money from their assets by processing payments rather than owning the land themselves. It's a big business, according to The Times, Brits pay almost £2bn a year to park, and if it is done through one of these apps. They are also money earners for cash-strapped councils, with analysis by the AA finding in 2023 local authorities raked in almost £1bn from parking. Some apps also add various fees to the transaction, sometimes called a 'service fee' or a 'convenience fee', but they all mean the same thing. They also sometimes offer parking insurance or extra costs for confirming your booking via text. Some even put adverts or commercial partnerships on their platforms. The days of finding cheap parking for less than £1 an hour are fading quickly. Last year, Direct Line found the average daytime parking hourly rate across the UK had increased by 11% since 2022, while evening parking charges increased by 22% and overnight parking rates rose by an average of 45%. Direct Line found that the ten most expensive places to park per hour were spread across the country. The top three were: Bracknell Forest Council - £6.65 per hour Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - £4.90 per hour Wyre Forest District Council - £4.05 per hour Other places to make the top ten included Blackpool, Glasgow and Brighton. They also said Sandwell in the West Midlands has seen the biggest increase in parking charges in the last two years, with the average day rate increasing by 145%. On top of this, some authorities add extra surcharges via parking apps if the customer is driving a high-emission vehicle, sometimes increasing the total cost by as much as 40%. The apps are able to add the charge far more easily than a cash pay machine because they can instantly identify the vehicle via the required registration input. This all means if a private car park or council has scrapped cash pay machines in favour of an app you could be charged extra for the service fee, extra for the confirmation by text and extra for the emissions made by your vehicle. Although many councils are turning away from traditional pay and display, cash is still king. In March this year, the AA found that two-fifths of drivers say that paying for parking with cash is their number one option, with contactless the second most popular at 28%. Parking by app was the preferred option by just 14% of respondents. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA said: "While it is clear that younger drivers prefer contactless payment options, older and low income drivers want to pay by cash. In fact, some claim they drive on until they can do so. With the High Street already under strain, it seems counterintuitive for car parks to refuse a customer willing to pay. 'Allowing parking to be paid by a multitude of options seems the best solution for both car parks and drivers, but those opting to pay by app should take note that doing so could be more expensive as administration costs are added to the rates.' In 2023, the RAC found people strongly opposed the complete scrapping of payment machines in favour of apps. Some 59% of those surveyed – and 73% of those aged 65 and over – said they feel angry at the idea of physical parking machines being removed as they believe they should be able to pay for parking however they want. A fifth of respondents - and 30% of those aged of 65 - said they felt discriminated against because they can't use mobile apps. The RAC said it was "concerned about the fact some councils seem intent on removing all physical parking ticket machines in favour of app-only payment – something research tells us a clear majority drivers are resolutely against."
Metro
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Metro
Major change to car parks could make drivers' lives easier
Twenty years ago, the biggest faff for drivers was finding enough coins to put into the parking meter. Today, that problem is largely gone, but in its place is another one: having to download a library of different apps to pay on your phone. Different car parks use different providers, meaning you may have to use Ringo one day and JustPark the next, making things unnecessarily confusing – especially for older people who never wanted the change in the first place. The government has been trying to make things simpler for some time by letting people use whichever app they prefer, connected behind the scenes to the National Parking Platform. But after a pilot scheme run in ten local authorities, they pulled taxpayer funding at the end of March, leading to fears that it would never materialise. Today, they announced that parking apps themselves would now operate and fund the service. Led by trade body the British Parking Association, they will now offer a 'one size fits all' service in collaboration with local councils. So if you prefer using PayByPhone, soon you will be able to use it even in car parks you previously had to use a different app for. As well as freeing up space on your phone, the government said it will avoid 'inconsistent parking rules, clunky user experiences and unnecessary barriers to something that should be simple'. It is expected to reduce the risk of parking fines, and improve the experience for consumers due to increased competition between apps. The ten local authorities already using the platform will not see any chance, and can continue using it. For next steps, the new consortium will onboarding more local authorities 'imminently', the government said. While they didn't provide a specific time frame, they said this would ensure that easier parking 'is rolled out to more drivers as soon as possible'. Anthony Eskinazi, founder of JustPark, has been elected as a Director of the Sub-Committee at the British Parking Association, responsible for now rolling out the new platform. He said: 'The NPP marks a major milestone in the modernisation of parking nationwide.' 'By allowing drivers to choose their preferred parking app, it eliminates unnecessary complexity and makes parking simpler and more convenient. Will this make your life easier? Yes, having to use lots of different apps is annoying No, it's never really bothered me 'It has other benefits too. Giving drivers freedom of choice fosters a more competitive landscape amongst UK parking providers. It will encourage us to be even more innovative, providing improved features and services for drivers. More Trending 'Ultimately, this will raise standards across the entire industry. 'For local authorities, the advantages are equally clear. With over 600 councils across the UK currently required to regularly run individual procurement processes for parking providers, The NPP now prevents the need for these – reducing inefficiencies, saving time, resources and costs. View More » 'At a time when public budgets are under pressure, this helps councils focus their resources where they are needed most and ultimately deliver savings for taxpayers.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: A major driving licence change is about to hit 50,000,000 people MORE: Safety charity wants to cut speed limits to 10mph on thousands of miles of roads MORE: Car more unpopular than the Lada is about to make a comeback
