New cashless parking app: Most Magherafelt motorists say they want pay by cash option to be kept

They are also slowly getting used to the new ‘blue coat’ parking attendants now responsible for off-street public parking in Rainey Street and Union Road parks.

Some admit that they have been "caught out" and got a ticket for over staying their limit when there was no sign of a ‘red coat’ attendant on patrol in the parks.

Most believe the changes to the parking arrangements were made too suddenly without proper consultation with motorists and the business community.

Eight local councils - including Mid Ulster - are part of a contract with Marston (Holdings) Ltd to provide enforcement services within its off-street car parks.

A regular visitor to Magherafelt, Alana Lavery, said she downloaded the ‘RIngGo’ app but while trying to use it "an error" message kept appearing on her phone screen as she was trying to pay.

"I couldn't use it so I went back to the Just Park app which still seems to be working," she said.

Mid Ulster Council is planning to replace the Just Park app with the ‘RingGo’ app, allowing car park users to continue to pay via their mobile phones at pay stations or via a telephone call.

The new arrangement is intended to introduce a new cashless parking system at the council’s six pay and display car parks in Magherafelt and Dungannon.

Philip Cunningham, from Maghera, believes motorists should have the option to continue paying with cash.

"We need to look at providing a service for everyone in our community and many people, particularly the elderly, don't have mobile phones and like to use cash," he said.

"I prefer to pay by cash myself and wouldn't like to see that option go."

A number of motorists, who asked not to be named, said the new parking arrangements should have been better promoted prior to being introduced.

“There’s no charge for parking in Cookstown yet, so I might go and do my shopping there,” one of them said. “If it becomes too much of a hassle people will just go and shop elsewhere.”

One woman said she did not have a mobile phone and was concerned that if there was only cashless parking, she wouldn’t be able to come into Magherafelt to shop.

Businessman Robert Ferguson, who has been running a furniture business in Rainey Street car park for about 25 years, said the new parking arrangements had caused confusion.

He said he had noticed that it had made some motorists nervous about parking and that was not good for attracting people to the town.

Mr Ferguson said the way the system was rushed out to the public has led to some of the confusion.

He was of the opinion that a barrier system which would allow motorists to pay for the period of time they have parked would have been fairer and clearer.