KILDARE: Parking company Apcoa under fire over app charge

Parking charges should be reduced for those using technology to pay for the privilege.

That’s the view of a Kildare councillor - though Kildare County Council doesn’t see it happening.

Noting that a new agreement with a parking services provider is to be negotiated soon, Cllr Seamie Moore said that motorists who want to pay for parking using a non-cash method are charged a surcharge.

At the moment people can pay by cash, debit/credit card or via Apcoa connect app - but there is a surcharge associated with the Apcoa method. Apcoa is the company which manages pay parking throughout the county for KCC.

Cllr Moore said it is “unusual and disappointing” to have to pay extra whereas many other business transactions conducted with technology are cheaper.

“We shoudn’t charge extra for this,” he added, commenting that this provision should be part of the new tendering process.

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Or else, he said, motorists should be given some extra parking time.

Cllr Michael Coleman that using the app costs 10% more.

According to KCC official Celina Barrett,  the Apcoa app is “already subsidised by Kildare County Council.”

And users of this app pay an additional charge of 10% of the cost of the parking, he said, adding that a discount would apply instead..

The app provides additional services including searching for carparks and the topping up of payments.

Ms Barrett told a KCC meeting that all aspects of “the parking experience” will be considered when the next tendering process for parking services is undertaken in 2024.

She agreed that all payments should be the same and while a discount might not be possible, the extra charge will be addressed.