70-year-old pensioner Parminder* was on her way to meet her friend in London, after carefully planning her whole day. She packed her bag of medicines and emergencies and drove to the nearest railway station, before planning to take the 12:55 train to a London station. Upon reaching the train station, while trying to get a park and display ticket, she realised the machine was out of order. There was a notice to pay by app or scan a display code, and although Parminder owns a smartphone, she only uses it to make calls, chat with friends on WhatsApp and check Facebook – apps that were downloaded by her daughter when she gifted Parminder the phone on her 67th birthday.
Speaking to Asian Voice she said, “I don’t know how to download apps or scan a QR code to go on a link to make payments online or using my phone. I have never done it myself. My daughter helps me with everything to do ‘with internet’, but she is on holiday abroad with my grandchildren. I have 24 hours to make the payment, but how do I access it? I went around for some time in the car park, thinking about what to do, but then I went back home, as I had no idea how to park my car without relying on the App.
Another of her friends who was meant to join the same party, was taking a train from Hertfordshire. But she had to cancel the plan, as she had no way to buy a ticket at the station using a machine. “I do not know how to use a machine or a debit card or order tickets online. There was no ticket counter open or assistant at the station, to help me through the process, so I decided to go back home.”
Mohan*, who is 62, considers himself tech-savvy and often uses apps to make payments on phone and other purposes. In a rush to catch a train to London, to visit Harrow on work, he parked his car outside a station in the Southeast suburbs, near his home. While his usual route of travel faced disruptions due to repeated strikes, he used a different route to access London trains.
In hurry, he scanned the QR code for an “apparent” new parking company, the third one on his phone, and made the necessary “quick” payment in a rush to board the train. Soon he received a call from his bank alerting him about fraudulent activities on his account. “I first thought this was a scam call. So, I hung up and called my usual number for the bank to check on the transactions.” He was told, within a few mins of paying for the “so-called” parking, there were a few more attempts to take money from the linked card. So, he had to cancel his card and now awaits a new one.
Local authorities move to pay by app, poses challenges
As local authorities increasingly move to pay-by-app systems, pensioners who do not have a smartphone find themselves high and dry at parking bays in the UK’s towns and cities.
Britain’s leading vehicle breakdown recovery provider Start Rescue had predicted that millions of mature drivers will be restricted from taking simple trips to the town simply because they don’t have the capacity to pay for parking.
The move away from cash and card payments has been accelerated by mobile phone providers switching off 3G data networks, on which some parking machines operate.
The London borough of Bromley removed all its machines in April citing a £1 million outlay even though 27% of parking transactions were still conducted by cash as recently as November 2022.
Brighton and Hove City Council is to scrap all of its pay and display machines by May 31 because it doesn’t want to shell out for the costly required updates. In Harrow, all card and cash machines have already been removed while other boroughs such as Richmond, Merton, Barking and Dagenham are starting the process of getting rid of their existing machines, too.
Currently, there are at least 30 different smartphone apps to pay parking charges. Britain's biggest parking app is RingGo with 19 million users, but other major players such as ParkMe, Parkopedia, Just Park, and PayByPhone are looking to expand. Most operate using apps but with some, such as RingGo, you can call and book your spot over the phone. There is still no way of paying by card or cash directly, though.
While the younger generation of drivers with smartphones may well be unaffected by the proliferation of parking apps, there could be literally millions of elderly people who won’t be able to pay for parking just because they don’t have a smartphone.
Data from Ofcom shows that only 68% of those aged 65 or overuse a smartphone to go online. With more than 9.2 million drivers on our roads in the same age group according to the DVLA, that suggests there are potentially 2.9 million older drivers without access to apps to enable them to pay for parking. And with the UK’s ageing population, that figure is only likely to grow over time.
Concerns about how mature drivers will pay for parking have been raised by several organisations including the National Pensioners Convention.
Jan Shortt, General Secretary of the National Pensioners Convention said, “The drive towards digital-only seriously disadvantages millions of older people who cannot afford smartphones, tablets or broadband to get online. We appreciate it is more convenient for councils and parking companies to opt for digital-only payments, but cash is still legal tender, and in the Queen’s Speech the government announced legislation to ensure that the option to pay by cash must remain.
“Technology is fine for most things, but when it excludes individuals from services, or does not work efficiently, then we have to ask why and especially if it is not compatible with the Equality 2010 Act that says goods and services must be accessible to all customers.”
Fraudsters access cashless system
With increasing car parks now operating on a totally cashless system, using a QR bar code similar to the popular during Covid-19 or downloading parking apps, the Daily Express explained how fraudsters have now begun targeting these systems in an attempt to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting victims.
This is done by using a fake QR code that is stuck to a payment machine disguised as a “quick pay” option.
Last year, the Isle of Wight council warned that a motorist had money stolen from their bank account after trying to pay for parking using a fake QR code. The council also reminded drivers that its pay and display machines do not use a QR code. While initially poorly worded or spelling errors could be an indication to scam people, this no longer remains an issue.
But payment scams are not the only issues faced by travellers, including pensioners. Speaking to the newsweekly, Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said, “Millions of older people are not online and therefore relying on traditional methods, including face-to-face ones, for everyday transactions such as buying train tickets. It’s unfair if they are excluded from accessing the cheapest prices, just because they don’t own a smartphone or other digital device. Companies should be legally obliged to treat all their customers fairly when it comes to prices and access, whether people are internet savvy or not.”
The rail industry must modernise?
While most tickets are now sold through self-service machines, online platforms, or contactless payment, approximately 12% of tickets are still purchased at staffed offices. Though a minority, this still represents a significant number of transactions considering the vast 1.4 billion passenger journeys made in Great Britain last year. A petition titled ‘Require train operators keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations’ is garnering signatures online. It reads, “We want the Government to require train operators to keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations, to help maintain health and safety standards and customer information. Train companies provide an important public service, and some are subsidised by the Government, and should be required to maintain standards.”
Responding to this petition, the Department of Transport said, “The rail industry must modernise to provide the service passengers deserve, moving staff from behind the ticket office screens. Train operators are consulting passengers on the proposed changes.
There has been a significant shift in the way passengers purchase tickets, with just one in every ten transactions taking place at a ticket office in 2022/23, down from one in three a decade earlier. 99% of all transactions made at ticket offices last year could be made at TVMs or online.”
Dr Alia Amir, Research Associate, at SOAS University and Associate Professor in English Linguistics, at Halmstad Universityhas used the train and tube services extensively in the UK. In her opinion, “The closing of ticket counters at the station can disrupt the transportation experience for people because, in case of any delays, or cancellations, human assistance might be necessary. While automat machines and digital access to information is becoming more and more common, it is crucial for inclusivity and for people who might not be digitally literate or may be new to a city.
“For them to have access to humans at the ticket counters is very important. One can reach the same information via mobile apps and ticketing machines, but the ticket counters maintain a channel.”
“As the population of London grows and with the increasing number of incoming tourists, public transport needs to provide more possibilities.”
In a statement shared with Asian Voice, TSSA’s Interim General Secretary, Peter Pendle, said, “Ticket offices are essential to our communities, they make stations safer, make it easier to get the best deal on tickets, and help a whole range of passengers access the railway…
“To give an example from my own family, my elderly mother was disabled and did not use a smartphone. When she travelled by train, she relied exclusively on ticket offices. It would not be practical for someone with her access needs, and someone who is also digitally excluded, to use a ticket machine at peak times.
“The government’s plans are simply unnecessary. Ticket offices are currently being used by passengers in large numbers. Across England, as many as 360 million journeys each year are a result of interaction with ticket office staff.
“The short-sighted and cruel closure of ticket offices will make our railways less accessible and less safe. I urge your readers to sign this petition to keep the ticket offices open https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636542”
Language barrier and trouble for international travellers?
Many elderlies, disabled members and South Asian community who are not well-versed in the English language, continue to fail to use these apps and websites regularly. The Trainline App told Asian Voicethat their app is available in 14 European languages and contact channels are available in our 5 core languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish). Phone support is available between 8 am and 10 pm. For partially sighted customers, their app supports accessibility features too. But none for South Asian customers who only speak Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali or Tamil.
Louise Rubin, Head of Policyatdisability equality charity Scope told Asian Voice, “A quarter of disabled people don’t have access to the internet, so could be excluded from travelling by train if these changes go ahead. Ticket offices play a much bigger role in making trains accessible, not just selling tickets. We're deeply concerned that these changes will result in more disabled people being stranded without the support they need. It’s already far too difficult for disabled people to travel on public transport in this country. We continue to hear of disabled people being left on trains and stranded at stations. One in four of us is disabled. Disabled people must be fully consulted and listened to.”
In addition to the legal challenge brought forth by the disabled activists, five city mayors from the Labour Party are also preparing legal action over what they consider to be a "totally inadequate" consultation process.
In fact, an international subscriber and reader of Asian Voice who recently boarded a train from Reading to London (Canary Wharf) was stranded at the station because all ticket counters were closed. There weren’t any GWR machines that accepted an international Forex card. Shalini (name changed on request), was lucky to have her family standing outside to see her off at the station, who finally bought her a ticket worth £24 online through a UK bank card, otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to come back to London without any customer support from National Rail services.
For Khushi Thakkar, a student at the University of Bristol, her experience with London's railway transport can be compared to going through a maze. Even with a train line application, she felt clueless going through the Victoria Coach station. Shetold us, “There were no directions to varied lines and the crowd just kept rushing. Thankfully a stranger helped me, but I was looking forward to more of the railway staff on board to guide tourists. Additionally, I also realised I could have got a student discount, but I didn't have an Oyster card, not that I was aware of one. I managed to get on the platform I needed to be, but it was surely an experience I would not want to have again.
“Once at the Coach Station, my card was accepted and before I could get through with my suitcase, the gate closed and I was at a loss. There’s supposed to be personnel in the office by the gates who can help you with such situations but there wasn’t. I had to tap my card again and was charged twice. This is, I believe, due to a sheer lack of responsibility and a shortage of staff. The presence of staff to help people out in these situations is a must because stuff like this happens a lot. “
Karan Malukar, a student at the University of Westminster said, “People rely majorly on public transport, especially tubes. The strikes cause inconvenience and it surely was for me.”
He usually prefers the tube as compared to the taxis and the buses as it is quicker than the busses and cheaper than the taxis. Karan uses his Oyster card for the commute and tops it up every month. “Once I recharged my card through the machine at the station, and there was an issue with the payment on the first try. While the second try was also unsuccessful, £160 was deducted from my account. This is a huge sum for a student, and I couldn’t get the amount back for the next two weeks.”
(*Names changed on request).
