Backlash over 'insane' parking system as Aussie council goes cashless
The new cashless system has sparked concern among residents who are now being forced to provide personal information just to pay for street parking.
As the shift to a cashless society continues to rile Aussies across the country, one prominent council area has implemented new technology for local parking. But while it's designed to be quicker and easier, residents say it's "confusing" and "invasive" with payment apps now requesting a plethora of personal information.
North Sydney Council, on the city's Lower North Shore, last month unveiled new cashless parking meters across the council area, which infuriated those who preferred more traditional payment options.
In addition to a Touch n Go system, which allows locals to tap their cards and phones to pay, there's also a "PayStay app" option available which is proving problematic for users.
In the app, users are reportedly prompted to provide personal information including full name, email and phone number as well as their car rego, postcode and of course their credit card details.
When contacted by Yahoo News Australia, a council spokesperson said it "understands no single method would suit all" and hoped the new parking system would "provide the public with flexibility in how they would like to manage their parking".
However, it also "acknowledges the frustrations experienced by the community with the new parking meters and is actively working to resolve them".
Residents express concerns over 'poor' paid parking decision
According to some, the apps are extremely "invasive" with many wondering why such a system is required. People also have the option of calling a phone number provided on a sign to pay for parking — but this option is no more convenient, say locals.
"The new PayStay parking system in North Sydney is inconvenient, time-wasting and discriminates against people who are not tech-savvy. What if you don't have your phone on you? It is a poor decision [by council]," one hit out on social media recently.
"Instead of being able to simply tap and go, you have to download an app, provide personal details, store credit card details in a third-party system, and then navigate the app. I was just popping to the shops for a coffee, not applying for a bank loan".
Hackers, surcharges and 'challenging' system among complaints
Others feared handing over their information in case of hackers ultimately distributing their personal details. "I won't be downloading yet another app to get the privilege of providing personal information to an unknown third party just because I want to park my car," another said.
It's been labelled a "total nightmare" by some and "terrible" by others who say "they already had perfectly serviceable machines doing the job," noting it's likely extremely challenging for older people — but others have struggled too.
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"I tried to pay using one of the new meters yesterday but it wasn’t working properly. The man who tried to use it before me had been trying for ages also with no success," said one.
"The barcode scan and pay didn’t work the other day, while I was looking for help with the new app, and figuring out how to pay with the new system, I got a $135 fine! It is insane," said another.
Some also noted paying via the app incurs an extra surcharge, "an extortionate 8.25 per cent" one pointed out. Plus it's believed there's an additional "34c per notification on the app" which reminds users when their parking runs out.
Council told Yahoo, the "parking surcharges are based upon user preferences" but did not elaborate further.
"The new parking system aims to ensure a combination of both the best value and most flexibility for the community as we recognise the increasing differences in technology preferences for individuals," they said.
"For customers to gain the best understanding of this new parking system, Council will be providing additional instructions and information," they continued. "Council will continue to monitor and improve the parking system to mitigate community concerns which include installing an additional 30 parking meters across the LGA for those not wishing to use the PayStay app."
Paid parking change leads to multiple fines
To make matters worse, the original parking meters remained in place during the transition, but each had a black plastic bag covering them. According to some locals, within the first couple of weeks, they'd been mistaken as "not working" by many not realising there was another way to pay, and therefore some hadn't paid for parking. Some people reported receiving a $135 fine as a result.
At the time, in early August, a council spokesperson told the Mosman Collective "old meters have had bags placed over them in preparation for removal, redirecting vehicle owners to new meters for payment".
"We understand this has caused some confusion as some of the new meters and Touch N Gos are located further away from the old meters," they said. It's understood the old parking meters have now been removed.
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