Agenda item

PROPOSAL TO REMOVE PAY AND DISPLAY MACHINES

Minutes:

Report ES19066

 

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 proposed 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 this 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 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 recommended for removal of machines will need additional RingGo signage to show tariffs and operating days/times. In total, 35 machines were recommended for removal in the following locations:

 

  Copers Cope Ward – removing all nine machines in the area and converting it to 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 was also recommended to enforcement policy so if all an area’s P&D machines are out of order, a customer has to either pay to park via RingGo or find parking where payment can be made by cash. Although P&D machines can be unreliable, it is worthy of note that RingGo has proved reliable since going live in April 2017 (it has not been necessary for the Council to apply a default for the system not working).

 

Details of the specific roads and income taken by P&D machines were appended to Report ES19066. Equivalent RingGo income for the zone locations from August 2018 to July 2019 was also outlined as were costs for removing the cash payment machines. Likely Council savings at locations for the remainder of the parking contract were 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 were 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 outlined Council income from the extra fees in the last two financial years. 

 

Supporting cashless payment, a Member expressed concern for the service charge element where it is necessary to extend a parking period and another service charge is then levied with further payment. However, the income covered services such as reminder messages (see above); publicity can also be provided via the RingGo app including details on charges, app benefits, and how additional charges can be avoided. It is intended to roll out the new approach in stages and where a new parking zone is introduced no parking machines will be installed.

 

For faulty, unreliable machines, a plentiful stock of spare parts will be available from decommissioned machines as the new approach takes effect. However, in an area where all P&D machines are out of order, Cllr Samaris Huntington-Thresher opposed the enforcement change requiring a customer to either pay by RingGo or find parking where cash can be paid. Cllr Huntington-Thresher suggested the contractor should be penalised and felt it unfair on residents to be inconvenienced, particularly as residents expect machines to be working. Cllr Huntington-Thresher supported moving a machine when poorly used but suggested the contractor can absorb the default for a non-working machine.

 

Cllr Huntington-Thresher moved that Recommendation 2.3 of Report ES19066 be removed and this was seconded by the Chairman. The Vice-Chairman also thought Cllr Huntington-Thresher’s concerns appropriate. However, upon a vote, a majority voted to support the policy change and it was agreed to retain Recommendation 2.3.

 

The Vice-Chairman suggested that Recommendation 2.3 be amended so that a motorist has to pay by RingGo or find a different machine in the area for payment. It would not then be necessary for a motorist to travel some distance to find a machine if cash payment was preferred. It was agreed that where appropriate officers would look into the suggestion.

 

The Portfolio Holder had also requested a further recommendation as follows:

 

2.4  By default, all future parking schemes will be presumed to be cashless.

 

Members supported the recommendation.

 

On criteria for removing the P&D machines, this would be prioritised in areas where at least 80% of payments are cashless or where there is a glut of machines (with a machine then proposed for removal). Supporting the recommended approach, a Member felt it worthwhile to ensure good publicity, with signs installed in the areas well in advance of arrangements being implemented.

 

For Recommendation 2.2, Members also agreed that delegated authority to the Director for future removal of P&D Machines should take place in consultation with the Ward Councillors as well as Portfolio Holder.

 

Additionally, officers agreed to explore a further suggestion that new P&D models (for obsolete machines not removed) need to be flexible so that timings can be adjusted. However, it was hoped that new machines would not be necessary in view of the spare parts stock to be available. 

 

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to agree:

 

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

 

(2)  that delegated authority be 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)  an enforcement policy, as set out at paragraph 4.4 of Report ES19066, when a P&D machine is out of order, provided that consideration is given to a motorist having to find a different machine in the area for payment as an alternative to payment by RingGo; and

 

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

 

Supporting documents: