Pay by phone only parking introduced

The first roads to have Pay By Phone only charging will be Newtown Road (north of St John’s Road), the Old Bath Road (south side), Faraday Road, Ampere Road, Fleming Road, Marconi Road and Kelvin Road.
Critics have claimed the system is insecure, open to abuse from cyber thieves and excludes anyone without a mobile or credit card.
Shadow transport and highways spokesman Keith Woodhams (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said: “This is just for the convenience of the council and the contractors. Having to phone up and give your credit card details is not only an inconvenience, it will be alarming to some, especially the elderly – all that faffing around after finding a space.
“How are parents with children going to cope? This is another nail in the coffin for local businesses as motorists will choose to go out of town and park for free.”
However highways portfolio holder Pamela Bale (Con, Pangbourne) defended the scheme.
She said: “The option to pay by mobile phone is not new. It has been used in some locations in Newbury for the past five years and there have been no problems as far as we know.”
The reason some areas have been made phone only was to prevent theft from the cash payment machines.
On the issue of convenience for the elderly or young mothers, she said: “These locations have been carefully chosen. I wouldn’t have thought they would be parking in Faraday Road, for example.”
Mrs Bale said the number to call would be charged at a standard local call rate, not a premium rate.
Asked whether cashless only payment was the future for West Berkshire, she said: “Each location is decided on its merits.”
It is envisaged the cashless payment system will be introduced at the specified areas in July or August.
Pay By Phone has a free app that can be used to make payments, sends text message reminders, allows drivers to top-up their time without returning to their car and emails receipts.
In the central London borough of Westminster, the scheme has proved unpopular, with many drivers claiming they have been fined despite having paid.
It has prompted data protection campaigner Labour MP of Glasgow North West John Robertson to question the scheme.
He said “I would like to know what these councils are doing to stop personal information being scanned by others and what compensation, if any, they will offer to people who lose money through fraudulent activity.”
A House of Commons transport committee report said of cashless payment: “It is essential that local authorities consult widely with local residents and other potential users on the introduction of these systems. They must also ensure that cash options are retained where there is a clear need.”