RingGo

Technology

The system is used by local authorities for on-street parking and public car parks. In 2023 RingGo had 10 million yearly customers, revenue of £30m and operating profit of £6m.

Criticisms

It has been suggested that councils that use RingGo are unfairly penalising users who find the technology difficult to use or do not own a smart phone. This has meant reduced customer numbers in some shopping centres that switched to smartphone-only parking.

Some car parks use the app's "Start-Stop" system that requires that users log both their arrival and departure time and failure to remember to sign out can lead to an overcharge. Not all car parks operate using this system.

Incidents

On 10 December 2023 RingGo’s parent company, EasyPark Group, suffered a breach of customer names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and partial payment card information. Over two weeks later on 26 December EasyPark informed the UK’s ICO and other data protection authorities.

References

References

1. (15 July 2006). "Town gets phone-and-park scheme". BBC News.
2. Jones, Lindsay. (20 May 2019). "Gravesham car park vistors must use RingGo from today". Gravesend Reporter.
3. Companies House https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03151938/filing-history
4. Gausden, Grace. (17 August 2022). "Digital car parking apps are penalising elderly who don’t have smartphones, campaigners say". [[i (British newspaper).
5. Lennon, Sam. (7 September 2022). "De Bradelei Wharf in Dover revenues down 40% since RingGo-only payments introduced at shopping centre car park".
6. Bagley, James. (4 August 2022). "Furious driver used RingGo to park at Windsor Leisure Centre and 'paid ten times more'".
7. (26 December 2023). "Hackers steal customer data from Europe’s largest parking app operator". The Guardian.