Rottingdean Drivers Without Smartphones Can't Pay For Parking

In a further example of digital exclusion, people parking in council-run car parks in Rottingdean have discovered there is nowhere nearby that where they can pay with cash or by card — thereby compelling use of a smartphone.

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said that the village had no shops where people could use PayPoint to pay for parking instead of a smartphone or the “pay by phone app”.

Parking meters have been removed or have been earmarked for removal since March because they rely on the Vodafone 3G network which is being phased out.

Brighton and Hove City Council stopped using parking meters at the end of May, saying that it would be too expensive to upgrade their machines to 4G or 5G.

Councillor Fishleigh first raised the issue at the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee last month when she said that a shop owner was happy to offer the PayPoint service for the community.

But when the full council met just under a fortnight ago, Councillor Fishleigh said that the business had heard nothing from PayPoint.

She said:

"There is no need for any finger-pointing or blame-gaming but the fact is there are not enough outlets with PayPoint facilities in the city.

"Since the Transport Committee, PayPoint still has not got in contact with the Rottingdean shop owner who said she will host a PayPoint in her shop.

"We need a short-term fix to address the problem in car parks that we know are frequented by older people in the city."

The nearest PayPoint outlets to Rottingdean are in Saltdean – in Lustrells Vale or Longridge Avenue – or in Longhill Road, Ovingdean.

Her fellow Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey, who also represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean, said that reliance on smartphones discriminated against older people.

He said:

"Parking machines are an example of digital discrimination against the elderly. This is pertinent.

"The ward is like others moving towards paying by smartphone. This is rather daunting to the elderly.

"A ward made up of narrow valleys, steep sides and weak or no mobile phone signal makes pay by phone almost impossible.

"If a tech-savvy person can’t pay by phone, the elderly can’t do it either."

He urged the council to suspend charges in the village until a PayPoint was available.

Labour councillor Jilly Stevens said that the Transport and Sustainability Committee had instructed officials to find more PayPoint outlets.

PayPoint said:

"All retailers have to pass certain criteria to work with us and we are always open to new retailers joining the PayPoint network.

"However, locals experiencing any issues can always contact us directly through the PayPoint website (www.paypoint.com) where our team will be able to help address any concerns they may have."

For users without an Internet connection, More Radio cannot locate a telephone number for PayPoint public enquiries, though a postal address for questions is given as 1 The Boulevard, Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1EL.