'Extra fees' concerns as new parking app RingGo comes to car parks in Kirklees

Fees have now been rolled out across 15 car parks that were previously free including in Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton and Mirfield.

People wishing to park at these locations can pay using RingGo by either calling up or downloading the smart phone app.

Contactless meters are present at seven of the car parks.

But on social media, some users paying by RingGo have reported being hit with extra fees on top of the hourly parking rate.

RingGo has since said that people paying through their service and parking for more than the initial two hours free have to pay a 16p “convenience fee”.

Users also have to opt out of text reminders to avoid further charges.

Those wishing to park for the free period only still have to register their vehicle, or risk being fined.

There have also been concerns about how those are not tech-savvy pay for their parking.

Mirfield ward councillor Martyn Bolt said: “I am very concerned about the lack of communication and information from the cabinet about their parking charges policy. It was paused during the summer leaving Kirklees plenty of time to put in place clear information for users.

“We now have the leader telling us: ‘You can pay by card, there are no car parks which are RingGo only.’

"But in Mirfield, there is no clarity on how you use the system if you aren’t on RingGo or if you don’t have a modern or even mobile phone.”

Councillor Munir Ahmed, cabinet Member for Environment and Highways said: “Of the 57 council owned car parks located across the district, 42 are free to park.

"The remaining car parks are free for the first two hours after which fees are charged.

"Only eight of these require a mobile phone to pay. Payment can be made over the phone or via the RingGo app – a smart phone is not required.

“There are no extra fees added when registering for the two free hours of parking. However, when paying for additional hours there is a small fee added by RingGo.

"Users must also ensure they opt out of text reminders to avoid a charge for this additional service.

“The decision made by cabinet not to install ticket machines at these locations was down to the number of spaces offered at these car parks.

"Alternative parking options, both on and off street, are available for users in each of the localities who don’t have access to a mobile phone.

“We are closely monitoring the impact of the new charges and taking onboard feedback received.”

A spokesperson for RingGo clarified: “The 15 new zones in Kirklees were added to the RingGo service in early January and there is a 16p convenience fee when parking in these locations.

“However, they all have a two-hour free parking option available; if a motorist chooses this free session option then the convenience fee is not applied.

"A convenience fee covers the cost of running the service and allows RingGo to invest in new features and innovations.

“In some cases, this is absorbed by the local authority or parking operator but in some instances this is charged directly to the motorist as a convenience fee.”