'Bring back coin payments' for Galway’s parking meters – Aontú
Galway City Council has been urged to bring back cash payments at its network of parking meters.
Aontú candidate in the Galway West Bye-Election Orla Nugent said the rush towards a ‘cashless society’ was leaving people behind.
Ms Nugent, a teacher, said, “people are avoiding parking in town and going shopping elsewhere” because they can no longer pay for on-street parking with coin.
“Galway City Council is offering a ‘learning and information pack’ for befuddled drivers who’d like to pay for a parking spot. This initiative does not explain why the public is being denied the chance to use cash in the first place.
“Moreover, a well-designed and intuitive system should not be so damnably complex as to need detailed user instructions. The initiative is patronising: the council is saying ‘if you can't use our machines, it's your fault’,” said Ms Nugent.
She said this issue was indicative of a wider problem.
“A cashless society infringes privacy, not least because digital payments leave data trails. And what happens when, not if, a cyber-attack shuts down access? But my real objection is that a cashless society excludes many people. People without digital literacy will be left behind,” she said.
Ms Nugent said the prevalence of apps costs older people their independence.
“An increasing proportion of people prefer to use cash – a 24 per cent according to a 2023 Department of Finance Consumer Banking Survey. Government should enact policies to make sure that cash remains a legal option,” added Orla Nugent.