New parking spaces appear on RingGo parking app before change announced

Screen grab showing shared bays displayed on RingGo app

An error in which the shared bays planned for controlled parking zones (CPZs) briefly went live on the RingGo app has led critics of the plan to claim that the decision to press ahead with the controversial scheme has already been taken. The Council are blaming RingGo for the premature publication of the information.

The Council provided data on the new shared bays to the online parking app which will be used to book the new spaces which are being introduced in all the zones in the Chiswick area.

This was despite their assertion that they would be looking at the responses to their survey to the scheme. The plan has provoked what has been described as an unprecedented level of opposition with residents concerned about the extra traffic it will attract to the area and that available space will be taken up by commuter and holiday parkers.

Users of the RingGo app noticed that it was directing motorists to shared bays in local CPZs on Monday (25 June). This was despite their introduction not having been officially announced. Also no bays have yet been marked out and signage is not in placed so any car directed to the area to park would not have been able to. By Wednesday the directions to the shared bays on the app had been removed.

Councillor Gary Malcolm said: "Given the promises made by the Leader of the Council, the controversial nature of the issue and the negative impact on residents and on air pollution, residents have been totally betrayed and let down. Shared CPZ bays are not liked or wanted. They should stop this until they honour the meeting that we are due to have in a few weeks' time."

He added that the Council would not have been able to analyse the complaints about the scheme from residents which have reached over a thousand. Also he pointed out that the Leader of the Council, Julian Bell had promised to hold a meeting with ward Councillors before any decision is taken.

We asked both Ealing Council and RingGo for a comment. RingGo did not respond but a spokesperson for the Council said, " details were published in error by Ringo and they have now been removed. The proposals for the introduction of shared parking bays in the borough are following the normal process."

A sign held up at the recent protest against the plan on Acton Green

Previously Councillor Malcolm had accused the Council of lying about the scheme and adopting a slapdash approach after a Freedom of Information request revealed they had not collected any numerical data on the usage of space in CPZs and had decided where to implement the schemes first based on convenience for council officers. They assessed usage of the bays because they lived in the affected area or because they passed through it on their way to work. The Council denied lying with Councillor Mik Sabiers, cabinet member for environment and highways saying that they had 'robust' information on parking in CPZs and that all zones would ultimately be assessed for the introduction of the scheme.

An Ealing resident has set up a petition calling on the council to withdraw its proposed scheme. You can sign the petition here, and read more about this story on our Ealing site

June 28, 2018