NCP really annoyed the bloody hell out of me when I went to Bristol; they put me in an impossible situation. I went to park my car by driving into a one-way system that was just wide enough for the vehicle—meaning there was no way out except to reverse or keep moving forward.
Here was the problem: I pulled in with no warnings outside (at least none I saw at the time) stating that I had to use the NCP app. I couldn’t use a card, and they didn't take cash—not that I carry any anyway. The barrier simply wouldn’t lift to let me in unless I used the app, so I couldn’t just park and fix the payment later. I couldn’t turn around, and I couldn't reverse because a car had already pulled up behind me. So, while I was literally blocking the entire car park entrance with a queue forming behind me, I had to download the NCP app and register as fast as humanly possible just to get a stupid QR code to let me in.
Now, I have no issues using car parking apps in general, but being forced to download and register under that kind of pressure was pure hell. If my signal had been weak, the App Store had been down, or the app itself had glitched, I would have been absolutely screwed.
This in the St David's shopping centre in Cardiff I love, they use the QwikPark app, so I just simply drive in and drive out, completely hands free and I know what they charge anyway which is pretty cheap. So no fiddling with stupid apps to get the QR codes or even paying later with cards, contactless, or cash.
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