Cash payments are set to be removed from Newcastle’s council-run car parks, despite concerns that the move could leave low-income families and the elderly “locked out” of the city centre.
A switch to cashless-only payments in all of the city council’s car parks and on-street parking locations will begin this week, with the Eldon Square and Eldon Garden multi-storeys the first locations to be affected.
It means that drivers will have to pay for their parking using either a bank card or the PayByPhone app.
Read more: Dean Street multi-storey car park ‘worst’ in Newcastle for fines
However, the move has sparked concerns about a “disproportionate impact” on the disabled, older people, those with no or little access to the internet, and low-income households that have a greater reliance on physical money.
Newcastle Independents councillor Tracey Mitchell brought a motion to last week’s city council meeting which called for the changes to be delayed and for a cash payment option to be retained.
Coun Mitchell’s motion accused the council of a “disinterest in the needs of customers”, adding: “Car park users choosing to use cash should still have the option to do so and failure to provide this option threatens to lock older drivers and low-income households out of the city centre.”
The motion was voted down by the city’s ruling Labour group and was not subject to a debate, as last Wednesday’s meeting ran out of time.
Lemington ward councillor Jason Smith likened the move to cashless-only payments to the controversial proposals to close railway ticket offices.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the changes also prompted concerns about safety if drivers do not want their whereabouts to be tracked through card payments or apps, such as victims of domestic abuse, and could subject people to “stealth tax” if they have to pay with a pre-paid debit card that charges fees to top up.
The Eldon Square car park will have its cash payments removed on Tuesday, October 10, followed by Eldon Garden on October 17.
Council bosses say that the change will “will help to make the city’s parking service more efficient and cost-effective while also better meeting the needs of customers”.
Civic centre officials added that extra support will be provided for people who need help with the new system, including a drop-in session at the City Library on October 23 and parking staff being on hand to provide in-person assistance during the first few days of the changes.
Coun Jane Byrne, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Many people already prefer to use cashless payments for parking but others may be less confident about paying by card or by phone.
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“When we carried out consultation earlier this year we received very useful feedback from organisations including Newcastle Disability Forum and the Elders’ Council.
“This has helped us to understand any concerns and look at how we can help people adjust to new payment methods.
“We have a range of support options in place which we hope will help people to understand and feel reassured about changing the way they pay for parking.”
