A route to making cashless parking accessible

Accessibility needs to be a top priority to avoid digital exclusion, says Jonathan Hassell, CEO at Hassell Inclusion

Jonathan Hassell

Jonathan Hassell

Over the past few years, parking has become increasingly digitised. The growth of parking apps has been driven by many local authorities moving from more traditional ‘pay & display’ machines to cashless systems, with the goal of making parking more convenient for users.

However, the growth in parking apps has not been immune from its issues, including poor phone signals hampering connectivity, users having to install multiple apps depending on the location of the car park, and confusing instructions.

In May this year, the Department for Transport announced plans for a National Parking Platform (NPP), a ‘one app fits all’ initiative designed to make life easier for car park users. 

While this is undoubtedly a welcome move, it doesn’t overcome some of the more fundamental user complaints. Recent research from the RAC highlights this, revealing that 73% of drivers who used a parking app in the last year experienced difficulties, with common problems including poor mobile signal and apps not correctly recognising the car park location. It advocates for local authorities to ensure that there are back-up options, so that users are not reliant on an app to make the payment.

In addition, the widespread use of apps, and other digital ways of making payments, raises specific issues around accessibility. While an app can be preferable as a payment mechanism for some people with disabilities, this is only the case if the app is digitally accessible. Otherwise they could be the blocker to parking all together. 

This is where this issue moves from being a minor inconvenience for some, to something that has a much wider societal impact for many. And this exclusion can be hugely detrimental. For many people, a parking space is more than just somewhere to leave their car, it is a necessary connection to their communities and many essential services. 

It is therefore paramount that parking app companies and car park operators consider the accessibility needs of the whole variety of their potential users, particularly if they choose to go down a fully cashless, digital route.

It’s also the law – the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR) requires accessibility to be delivered in all digital tools provided by public sector bodies. As many local authorities operate car parks, it is their responsibility to ensure they are accessible and inclusive for all users. 

Three steps to better accessibility

So what’s needed? Digital accessibility can mean different things for different people, depending on their conditions and preferences.

For example, older people who have issues with fine motor skills may struggle to use some apps on their smartphone, while neurodivergent people may experience increased anxiety if there is no alternative to using an app for payment.

For us, there are three ways parking app companies can ensure better accessibility:

1. Define responsibility and get buy in from senior stakeholders
It is important to have a champion for accessibility at a senior level. Having a ‘digital accessibility programme manager’ who can lead a project team to own, run and report progress against your strategic accessibility plans is essential. You should ensure your plan includes adequate training and embedding of accessibility in your policies and processes. Lead from the top – great accessibility is best assured if the whole organisation is behind it and aware of it.

2. Make sure accessibility is a requirement across your suppliers
Many parking app companies use external digital suppliers and partners to develop their apps, so it is important to ensure digital accessibility is a key part of procurement processes and development contracts. This is particularly relevant when working with local authorities and other public sector organisations.  

3. Embed accessibility from the outset and treat it as a long-term strategy
Digital accessibility is often treated as an afterthought that requires a product to be retro-fixed, when it would have been much more effective if it was embedded right from the beginning of the design process. 

This includes looking beyond the app itself, ensuring that accessibility is considered across all digital products and communication, including text messages, emails, websites and social media.

In addition, many companies can be guilty of viewing accessibility as a one-time fix. It should be a long-term strategy, so it is important that it is regularly monitored, checked and fixed, and that it complies with any updates to accessibility regulations.  

Towards a more digitally inclusive future

Without doubt, we are moving towards a digital-first future. However, an over-reliance on digital products without non-digital backups means there is a real danger of exacerbating inequalities, particularly for disabled, elderly and other customers with additional needs. 

When it comes to parking, people may find it harder to get to work, struggle to reach essential services, and users without smartphones may lose access entirely.

With parking such a fundamental part of day-to-day living, ensuring the accessibility of apps goes beyond a ‘nice to have’. It is a ‘must do’ for the millions of people who rely on it as a connection to their community.

Jonathan Hassell is chief executive at Hassell Inclusion, a consultancy that employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches to transform organisational culture by elevating inclusion.
www.hassellinclusion.com