The ‘deeply unfair’ parking surcharge used to wring thousands of dollars from drivers

His anger is echoed by Essex resident Mark Evans, who recently paid extra for a 30-minute stay in Colchester.

The 53-year-old said: “They call it a convenience fee, I think that was what was annoying – for what convenience?

“I don’t think there were any payment machines operating there, so there was literally no choice but to pay.”

The British Parking Association, a trade body, said motorists should be allowed to pay using the method of their choice, whether by app, card or cash.

A spokesperson said: “We have to recognise that this is a decision for operators to make and a one-size-fits-all solution will not always work.”

RingGo, which processes £400 million in payments each year and operates in 17,000 locations, is the UK’s largest parking operator.

Its competitors include PayByPhone and JustPark. Opting for RingGo or PayByPhone comes with a 10p surcharge for service charges and 15p for text message reminders, while JustPark does not charge a service charge but offers a 20p more expensive text messaging service.

Consumer expert Martyn James has said “extortionate” surcharges on parking apps are “deeply unfair”.

“The fees are annoying to the consumer, but not necessarily enough to tip them over and not pay – it’s a form of micro-billing,” he said.

“Imagine all those people across the country receiving text message reminders every day, that 20p charge is a huge amount.

“It’s a huge cash cow for local authorities and it just seems deeply unfair to be making people pay for text notifications.”

RingGo said its additional SMS fees and convenience fees are listed at several stages of the booking process for each transaction, meaning customers are fully aware of what they are being charged.

Hourly daytime parking rates in the UK have increased by 11% over the past two years, according to insurer Churchill.

Local authorities are expected to generate £1.8 billion in on- and off-street parking charges in 2023, according to the RAC, as well as profits of £923 million.

Mr King said the ordinary person may now not go into town to park.

“Parking is not a luxury but a necessity, but too often the extra fees push the cost into the luxury category,” he said.

Many councils are currently trialling the government’s National Parking Platform, which allows multiple apps to work in any council car park.

The government hopes that once it is introduced nationwide, people will be able to download a single app of their choice to use wherever they are in the country.

Buckinghamshire Council is the latest local authority to join the trial, with Wycombe motorists now able to choose their preferred payment provider.

Opting for RingGo or PayByPhone comes with a 10p convenience fee and 15p extra rates for text reminders, while JustPark doesn’t charge a convenience fee but offers a 20p more expensive text messaging service.

PayByPhone, JustPark and RingGo have all been contacted for comment.