Rail commuters face new car parking measures

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Thousands of rail commuters from Glasgow to London and all points between to Penzance, face chaos when plans to replace a popular cashless parking service with a new, ‘relatively untested’ scheme come into force from next week (14 March).

RingGo, which provides the current system, is used by more than 2million motorists across the UK, many of them early adopters of the scheme launched by First Great Western six years ago. It has become a popular alternative to cash payments, as it enables rushed commuters to avoid searching for coins and queuing at the machine for a ticket. Instead, they can pay their parking charge quickly and easily by mobile phone, using their credit or debit card.

An announcement by First Great Western and Network Rail to replace the system with one devised by enforcement company APCOA has met with huge public condemnation.

Within hours of the statement, hundreds of RingGo customers had visited the TheYellowLines website to complain about the service removal.

Ring Go reported that among the hundreds of comments of support on the website, are:

  • “Can see absolutely no reason to change as the RingGo system works extremely well – quick and easy to use- quite clear that Great Western don’t want to listen to their customers” Simon Ingram.
  • “This seems a ridiculous change … Can FGW guarantee that the new system will be as efficient and effective as Ringo? I value its flexibility and ease of use – it saves me carrying cash and gives me a clear invoiced record of my parking charges that are acceptable to my company expense manager. If it aint broke don’t fix it.” Sue Leach
  • “RingGo are excellent – they should be retained” James Fulford.

Commuters have been told that the service is being changed because of increased charges being imposed by RingGo; and that APCOA is a bigger operator. Ring Go say that “Neither point is accurate, as rail users are not charged to use the RingGo scheme and there are no plans to do so. APCOA operates 28 cashless parking locations against 3128 run by RingGo across the UK.”

Joanna Miller, Chief Executive for RingGo, said “It’s been truly amazing to see the level of support there has been for our service. We find it incredible that so many people should have taken the time and effort to express their feelings, both on this site and indeed onwards to those whom they hope may assist in changing this decision.

“We’re particularly surprised, because, we are after all, talking about a parking service – and it’s so rare for parking to generate this sort of positive sentiment. It just shows the strength of feeling motorists have for RingGo – it’s something they rely on to work for them, and there is widespread dismay that they will lose this.”

2 COMMENTS

  1. I agree this seems like a poor decision for the people who actually use the service. I hope First Great Western will reconsider when the inevitable chaos unleashed by the new system hits. Used RingGo for years and it works..

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