Pointers for a better parking app

IT HAS been four years since the Park@Perak (P@P) app for parking payment was introduced.

With Ipoh gearing towards going fully digital to pay for parking at public spots by 2024, more are expected to download the app.

Updates to the Park@Perak app have made it more user-friendly but there is still room for improvement. — Filepic

As of October this year, it has been downloaded about 530,000 times, mostly by those in Ipoh.

I find the latest version of the app very user-friendly but some folk, especially the elderly, still find it a challenge.

They cited the small font size. So perhaps in future, the developer will enable users to adjust it.

Or better still, have options to switch languages to make it even more accessible.

A colleague from Petaling Jaya, who uses the P@P app to help her elderly aunt in Ipoh pay for parking, also found it a challenge.

She said the Smart Selangor Parking (SSP) app was equipped with a GPS function that could detect her location according to the local government (PBT).

“When I open my SSP app, it automatically detects my location and I don’t need to manually enter the PBT unlike on P@P.

“I then click on my car registration plate number and choose the parking duration and I am done.

“All apps which the public are forced to download should be as user-friendly as possible,” she added.

Fortunately, the P@P now allows agents to assist people to pay for parking.

This is a great help to those who do not have a smartphone, have not downloaded the app or have insufficient mobile Internet data.

Also, for out-of-towners who are visiting Ipoh or elsewhere in Perak, downloading an app just to pay for parking on their one-off visit is a hassle.

On this note, perhaps the Housing and Local Government Ministry can commission an app that covers the entire country.