Research by the AA has shed new light on how British drivers prefer to pay for parking.
The comprehensive survey found cash is still the leading choice when it comes to payment. Nearly half (46 percent) of all drivers ranked it as their first option.
However, the AA found that payment preferences varied between age groups, and socioeconomic status.
Cash is king for older drivers
Of the 14,600 drivers surveyed, more than half (56 percent) of drivers aged 65 and over said cash was their first choice.
Low income households also have a preference for cash, with almost two thirds (62 percent) opting for coins.
The AA notes that using cash for parking allows drivers to ‘manage their budgets’. Any remaining change can then be spent in local shops.
Chip-and-pin payment was the second most popular method for all drivers, followed by contactless payments. Payment by phone was seen as the option of last resort.
Young drivers go contactless
For younger drivers aged between 18 and 24, cash was only fourth on the list of payment choices. Almost half (49 percent) said contactless payments by card or smartphone would be their preferred option.
The pandemic has seen local authorities move away from allowing cash payments to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus. The AA believes the results of this survey mean councils should keep cash options open.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, commented: “Many households prefer to physically see their budgets and doing so gives them a heightened sense of how much their cash can go. Removing cash parking machines from town centres can have a knock-on effect to the local economy, as would-be shoppers decide to take their business elsewhere.
“With parking income the equivalent of three quarters of council tax revenue for some authorities, council leaders will not want to lose a valuable source of funding.
“Considering the low levels of support for pay-by-phone options, councils could drop this option altogether. But they won’t as many add transaction fees to the hourly rate, which helps boost their coffers.”
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