The British Parking Association (BPA) will lead the development and delivery of the National Parking Platform (NPP), a new system designed to enable drivers to use their preferred parking app across all participating car parks in the UK.
Announced by the UK Department for Transport this week, the decision follows a series of trials involving local authorities and technology providers including RingGo, JustPark and PayByPhone.
The NPP is intended to standardise digital parking payments, allowing motorists to use a single app regardless of operator or location.
Currently, motorists are required to use different apps depending on the operator managing each car park.
The NPP aims to address this issue by linking participating car parks to a shared system that supports multiple app providers.
The UK government has stated that the platform will be delivered at no additional cost to the taxpayer and operated on a not-for-profit basis.
“The government is committed to improving parking services and reducing complexity for drivers,” said Lilian Greenwood, UK minister for the future of roads.
“This platform will be delivered by the sector and supported by local authorities, with government retaining oversight to ensure it meets public expectations.”
The system has already been trialled in 10 local authorities and is currently handling more than 500,000 transactions per month.
The BPA will now take forward its national rollout, with plans to onboard additional councils in the coming months.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader transport investment plans, which include £4.8bn for new road infrastructure and £1.6bn for road maintenance.
Achievements in smart parking will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
