The head of the Transport Technology Forum’s Smarter Parking Working Group has confirmed that the private sector is setting up a consortium to run the National Parking Platform programme.
The platform enables a simpler experience for motorists paying for parking because payments can be made using any of several established apps, rather than having to use a specific app for a specific area. The NPP is also designed to benefit local authorities by providing a data exchange to enable multi-seller payments, a way of sharing parking information and standardising technical and commercial relations.
The Platform’s development had been funded by the Department for Transport, but as the TTF’s Annual Conference has heard that the private sector is working to take over the initiative without the need for taxpayer subsidy.
“We’re entering an exciting era with the creation of the NPP Consortium,” Working Group Chair Sarah Randall told the meeting in Leicestershire. “This independent body is looking to carry the platform forward, ensuring it remains scalable, neutral and built around the needs of local authorities, technology suppliers, providers and users as a not-for-profit organisation.
“The smarter parking group is supporting this transition, helping to shape a governance model and roadmap that prioritises openness through the standards set out in APDS – the Alliance for parking data standards.”
The National Parking Platform has been under development at the DfT since 2019 and has been trialled in ten local authorities. It was successfully demonstrated to delegates at the 2024 TTF Conference.
(Picture – TTF)
