Parking in South End and Selsdon Road is going digital from today (Monday 19 June) in a new trial, which is set to make it easier for more people to visit the area and support local businesses.
The move comes as part of Mayor Jason Perry’s plans to support Croydon’s district centres and high streets, and to modernise services. Shoppers will continue to be able to get a 30-minute free parking session and be able to use the bays for up to 2 hours, to encourage regular turnover creating more spaces close to shops.
The trial has been suggested as a way to ensure this service is being used as intended – to support our businesses by encouraging people to pop to local shops.
From today, ‘pay and display’ machines will be switched off, so they will not be dispensing tickets, as the council wants to make sure local businesses are truly benefiting from the intent of the offer, to encourage more local shopping.
Instead of getting a printed ticket, motorists will need to use the RingGo parking app to obtain a free session. One free 30-minute parking session will be available per vehicle within any 24-hour period.
RingGo is available on Apple and Android, and links to download can be found on the council website. Those who cannot access the app will be able to call RingGo on 020 3046 0010 to arrange a session.
The trial will run for four weeks from Monday, closing on Sunday 16 July.
The council welcomes any comments on this trial, via an online survey, available on the council website. The survey will close at the end of the trial, on Sunday 16 July at midnight.
“We need to make sure our free parking offer is working as intended to support the businesses that rely on a turnover of customers. I’m really pleased we’re taking this step, so shoppers arriving by car can spend less time looking for a spot, get 30-mins free parking and keep supporting our fantastic local shops.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
