Cashless Society: London Town Introduces Higher Fees Who Pay Parking With Cash

The following report is by LBC:

Sutton Council increased rates at its parking meters in June, but kept prices the same for those using a mobile app or phone service. This means parking for one hour now costs £3 at meters, but only £2 through the app or phone.

The move was criticised by the government and motoring groups. A government spokesperson said it unfairly penalises those who use meters and asked the council to reconsider.

The RAC called it discriminatory against those unable or unwilling to use the technology.

Conservative MP Greg Smith said councils shouldn’t overcharge people who want to use meters.

The RAC’s Rod Dennis agreed, saying it’s “nothing short of discriminatory” to make the cheapest parking only available through apps. He expressed concern this could lead to meters being removed entirely.

Age UK said the policy hits older people hardest, as many don’t use smartphones. It creates a disincentive for them to go out. The charity hopes the council reconsiders an approach that effectively charges some people more.

Councilor Barry Lewis defended the move as encouraging cashless payments. He said maintaining meters has become more costly. The higher meter charges cover these expenses.

Lewis noted people can still pay by phone without a smartphone. However, motoring groups say phone apps don’t always work due to signal issues.

Cllr Lewis said the borough has “some of the lowest parking charges across London”.

He continued:

In order to keep our prices low, we are encouraging all our residents and visitors to go cashless when paying for parking, with the incentive being a discounted rate.

Maintaining the cash machines and collecting the money from our car parks has become more expensive.

The charge for paying for parking by cash has increased to cover these costs.

We understand concerns about people who don’t have a smartphone but you can also pay using a dedicated phone line.

This means that those who do not have a smartphone are not excluded from benefiting from the discounted rate.

Unlike other councils who have completely removed the option for people to pay by cash, residents and visitors to Sutton still have the option to pay by cash at our parking machines.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Clearly this discrimination is designed to force more people to ditch cash, and now a hidden tax has been imposed on the people for using it.

Governments and central banks around the world are desperate to get the masses off of cash. Some are more complicit than others, but make no mistake: governments around the world are going to continue to try and make people go cashless and contactless, and little gimmicks like this in London will continue to pop up.

SEE: Australia Going Completely Cashless: Banks Are Now Beginning To Ban And Limit Cash Withdrawals While Continuingly Increasing Digital ID Issuance

For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Ecclesiastes 7:12

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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