An 89-year-old motorist has criticised the “frustrating” advance of technology after he was fined when his ageing mobile phone could not be used to buy a car park ticket.
Roland Nice was in a car park in Haverhill, Suffolk, for just eight minutes after finding that cash payments were not accepted.
Using his walking stick, he made his way between two payment machines before discovering that his 20-year-old Nokia handset was unable to download the parking payment app. With no way to pay, he drove away.
A few days later, the grandfather received a £100 parking charge notice for the brief visit, with the amount cut to £60 if settled within 14 days.
“I find it very frustrating. Eventually, banks are going to work it so you have to do everything by card,” he said.
“I’ve always been a cash man to pay for everything.”
Our News Outlet has repeatedly reported on the difficulties faced by older and vulnerable people who feel increasingly excluded as everyday services move online or become app-based.
The issue has surfaced in several areas, from bank branch closures pushing customers towards online banking to telecare alarms being rendered obsolete as digital phone lines replace copper networks. A growing number of shops are also refusing cash payments, adding to concerns about access for those who rely on notes and coins.
Roland Nice, 89, received a fine in the post after spending eight minutes in a car park in Haverhill, Suffolk, where he was trying to work out how to pay as cash was not accepted
Mr Nice visited the Swan Lane car park on August 7 as he wanted to get out of his house in Bury St Edmunds and visit the town’s market.
He had last visited the site two years earlier when the machines still accepted cash.
But when he pulled in, he found coins were no longer an option and tried to work out whether he could download the payment app mentioned on one payment machine before going to check the other.
‘I struggled to get from one machine to the other,’ added Mr Nice, who is married to Sally, 79.
‘That’s why it took me eight minutes to do it but I wasn’t causing a hassle.
‘I couldn’t pay because I’ve got an old Nokia phone, which is just annoying.
‘I never had any problems before. I used to be able to pay £1.40 in cash for two hours.’
He then drove around the town before eventually spotting a space in a street where there was free parking and spent around £160 in local shops including a café and grocery store.
Swan Lane car park in Haverhill, Suffolk, is operated by Napier Parking, who were contacted for a comment
The fixed penalty notice shows Mr Nice’s van arriving just before 11.58am on August 7 and leaving at 12.06pm
A few days later, the penalty notice from Napier Parking came through his letter box.
Photos showed his white Vauxhall Combo van arriving at 11.57:56am and leaving at 12.06:18pm after failing to purchase a ticket.
‘When I looked at the pictures I thought ‘That’s not right. I didn’t park there’,’ added Mr Nice, who still does odd jobs for the stonemasonry firm he handed over to one of his three children a few years ago.
‘My wife sent an appeal on August 20 and we’ve heard nothing yet.
‘I tried to ring them but they ask you questions but you’re not speaking to anybody.’
Mr Nice said the prospect of struggling to park in the town in future made him more likely to visit somewhere else.
The car park is privately owned and is not the responsibility of Haverhill Town Council.
In April, a woman started a petition calling on the government to introduce a mandatory 15-minute grace period for all car parks after receiving a fine from Napier Parking.
Millions of older and vulnerable people are being excluded from day-to-day life by the digital age. Cash is often no longer accepted at car parks and shops, while banks are closing branches in favour of online services
Emma Skeates, 58, was in Billingshurst, West Sussex, in January but was unable to pay for her parking because the machines were out of order due to the extreme cold weather. The internet was also down in the village.
She was left waiting to hear if Napier Parking would take her to court after she refused to pay but said: ‘I have received lots of threatening and menacing letters.
‘There are links [on their website] telling me to click if I want help. But whenever I click on the link it is just a payment site. I don’t want to pay the fine. I want to talk to someone.’
Napier Parking were approached for a comment.
