Payment parking machines nearing an end

The government has revealed new national parking data standards, hoping for all parking data released by local councils and companies to support the development of apps to make parking easier for drivers.

Created by the Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS) and funded by the Department for Transport, the standardised data could lead to smoother and easier payment methods right across the country and could transform the way we park, in the same way that the Oyster card transformed commuting in London.

By helping to streamline the parking experience and making it easier for drivers to find a suitable parking place, the government says that the standards could ultimately free up crucial space, easing congested cities and boosting British high streets.

To ease the introduction of the standards, four research and development projects in Manchester City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and across a consortium of South Essex Councils will receive a share of £1 million to start putting the APDS standards into practice, with a further seven projects being commissioned to identify ways to open up local authority data.

Michael Ellis, Future of Mobility Minister, said: “We are on the brink of a revolution for the future of transport, with ground-breaking technologies creating huge opportunities for cleaner, cheaper, safer and more reliable journeys. We now need to ensure the infrastructure surrounding these technologies is in place and can accommodate these innovations. The new parking data standards will bring government, private organisations and technologies together to ensure a smoother parking experience for drivers.”

Nigel Williams, chair of the British Parking Association and chair of the APDS, said: “The new standards will enable the next generation of apps and connected cars to find a parking space, park and pay - with little or no intervention from the driver. The involvement of the British Parking Association in APDS has ensured that the UK is at the forefront of innovation to improve the customer experience of parking.”

Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Hunting for a parking space and then checking if you have the right change to pay for it isn’t the best start to any shopping experience, but it can be the reality more often than not. An intelligent parking system will not only make life easier for commuters, but could also improve footfall to our town centres – meaning both people and local businesses benefit.”