Cashless Parking Comment

Age Cymru’s chief executive Victoria Lloyd says:

“By opting for cashless only car parks, there is a risk that it will become unnecessarily difficult for older people wishing to visit town centres for reasons such as health appointments, shopping or leisure activities. We cannot assume that everyone in our society is willing or able to make all their financial transactions digitally. 

Many older people still rely heavily on cash, with some being completely dependent on it.  Some older people do not have a bank account and instead use cash to pay for goods and services. For many on limited incomes, using cash helps them to budget their finances.

“While many older people are comfortable using digital technologies such as a Parking App and have a smart phone that enables them do so, many are less comfortable or don’t have a smart phone.  It is estimated that more than half of the over 75s in Wales do not use digital technologies. 

“As lockdown restrictions ease across Wales we need to be thinking about how we can support older people to re-engage with their communities once more rather than making it more difficult.”