Decision details

(1)  The P&D machines shown in Appendix 1 to Report ES19066 are to be removed and more emphasis placed upon the RingGo payment option by increasing signage in these roads and by supplying information through the Council website.

(2)  Delegated authority is given to the Director of Environment and Public Protection for future removal of P&D machines, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder and Ward Members.

(3)  If all P&D machines in an area are out of order, a customer can only pay for parking using the RingGo cashless system – if a customer wants to pay by cash using a P&D machine they will need to find another zone where this facility is available.

(4)  that by default, all future parking schemes will be presumed to be cashless.

The Council has an ongoing policy to remove Pay and Display (P&D) machines from on-street locations where they are low in use and/or prone to vandalism and Report ES19066 proposes a more proactive approach to removing P&D machines where only “cashless” mobile phone payment can be retained. Cashless parking payments can be made via a phone call or by using an App; the system is currently administered by a company called RingGo.

Mobile Phone Parking has proved successful with about 50% of income received by the cashless system on average. A reduced number of cash payments and machines create savings through fewer cash collections, less machine maintenance, fewer machine upgrades and air time. Vandalism is also reduced and Mobile Phone Parking is more environmentally friendly with fewer vehicles collecting cash. Cash theft from machines is also denied and consumer behaviour insight from data can be used to influence parking policies and high street trends.

Officers have reviewed under-utilised P&D machines where payments are predominantly cashless (mobile phone only). Should machines be removed, nearby machines will need relocating, in some cases to retain a cash payment option. However, many roads will become cashless only and roads where machines are removed will need additional RingGo signage to show tariffs and operating days/times. In total, 35 machines are to be removed in the following locations:

•  Copers Cope Ward – removing all nine machines in the area and converting itto RingGo only except for part of Beckenham High Street where machines will be reduced from two to one;

•  Clockhouse Ward – removing all eight machines, converting the area to RingGo;

•  Orpington, Petts Wood & Knoll, Farnborough & Crofton Wards –removing all 11 machines in the outer part of the High Street making the area RingGO only with the main High Street still having P&D machines; and 

•  Bromley Town Ward – removing six machines from the area and relocate other machines so that all but one of the roads has a pay and display machine as well as RingGo option, the only exception being Meadow Road as RingGo only.

A change is also made to enforcement policy so that if all an area’s P&D machines are out of order, a customer has to pay to park using the RingGo cashless system. If the customer wants to pay by cash using a pay and display machine they will need to find another road to park where they can use this facility. RingGo has proved reliable since going live in April 2017 and it has not been necessary for the Council to apply a default for the system not working. Customers are unable to purchase a pay and display ticket from another location and park in their original parking spot due to different terms and conditions being associated in the bays. The parking appeals system can allow for a customer who has genuinely purchased a ticket that legitimises the parking and has not achieved a financial saving. 

The Parking Enforcement Contract has a Key Performance Indicator to ensure if all pay and display machines are out of order at a location, at least one needs to be repaired within 24 hours. Within the last year of the contract, the Council has not had to apply this default.

Details of the specific roads and income taken by P&D machines are appended to Report ES19066. Equivalent RingGo income for the zone locations from August 2018 to July 2019 is also outlined as are costs for removing the machines. Likely Council savings at locations for the remainder of the parking contract are also detailed (the Council will bear the cost of P&D machine removals from existing 2019/20 maintenance budgets). Anticipated cost savings for the next seven years of the contract amount to £110,250.

Details are also provided of Council income that can be expected according to levels of RingGo use in the areas (a motorist needs to pay RingGo a 20p convenience fee to park with 4p, including VAT, paid to the Council and a confirmation and reminder text message costs 10p per text which is paid to the Council, including VAT). The report also outlines Council income from the extra costs in the last two financial years. 

The further decision at (4) above is not included in Report ES19066 but was highlighted at the Environment and Community Safety PDS Committee and received their support.