Reading council has been blasted for bagging up its parking ticket machines and removing the option to pay with cash.
For weeks, the 168 ticket machines in Reading have been bagged up ready for an eventual overhaul for parking in the town.
Soon, parking ticket machines at 75 locations will be replaced, with the remainder being removed for good.
But currently, the only way to pay for parking fares is by using the RingGo app. It also excludes people from paying by contactless card.
The removal of payments by cash and coin has led to fears that people without phones will be left unable to pay for their parking.
Raising the issue on the Woodley Chants & Rants Facebook page, Kerry Kingston said: “How can this be right that dozens and dozens of on-street parking meters are covered up and will only accept RingGo app payments and no longer cash payments.
“Cash is legal tender and not everyone has a smartphone and can manage to pay for parking using a phone or what if you have no charge!
“I see many elderly people struggle with this and want to pay with coins.
“Where are they supposed to park if you have no phone?
“This is completely wrong and the option of paying with coins should not be removed!”
A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council has apologised for the inconvenience and pointed out that a selection of the new machines will accept cash and coins once they are installed.
The spokesperson said: “A number of pay and display machines have been covered up in advance of their removal as part of an equipment upgrade.
“Seventy-five new pay and display machines will be installed around the town over the coming weeks, which will allow motorists to pay for on-street parking using bank cards or mobile payment apps for the first time in Reading, as well as the existing RingGo system.
“Machines will accept cash in some areas where there is proven high demand for this, such as around the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
“The new machines will not issue paper tickets but parking enforcement officers will be able to check that payment has been made electronically.
“In the meantime, motorists will need to use the RingGo app when paying for on-street parking.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The machines were bagged up from March 1. The new parking machines will be installed to allow the council to introduce emissions-based parking charges.
The system operates by escalating fares based on the emissions produced by a vehicle.
The possible introduction of emissions-based charging underwent a statutory consultation that closed on March 30.
The results are being analysed by council officers for a final decision that will be made by the council’s traffic management subcommittee on June 11.
