The UK's largest private car park operators are joining forces to create a universal payment platform that means motorists no longer need a separate smartphone app for each provider.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the new 'one-app-fits-all' interface is being developed and operated by the British Parking Association at no cost to the taxpayer, following a series of government-backed trials.

It will be called the National Parking Platform, and will allow drivers to pay to leave their car at all participating car parks, including those run by RingGo, JustPark and PayByPhone – which currently each operate their own apps.

The move will encourage "a more flexible parking experience", said the DfT, following widespread criticism of the reliability and ease of use of certain parking apps – a particularly pertinent issue as councils are phasing out traditional coin and card  payment machines in the interests of reducing operating costs.

Autocar recently reported that the increasing use of apps in place of machines was frustrating motorists, who said connectivity problems and added complexity were causing delays to journeys and even forcing them to choose other parking locations.

One driver in Guildford – which has recently disabled two-thirds of its payment machines in favour of the RingGo smartphone app – said: “My phone can’t establish a connection [to the RingGo app]. I’m already late for an appointment and don’t have time to waste trying to buy a ticket. I expect I shall be fined.”

An elderly couple in the same town concurred: “We don’t like downloading and using apps and would much rather use coins or contactless payment. At least we have a smartphone. Many of our friends don’t. We will have to find another parking space.”

The new universal parking app is being designed to alleviate those concerns, said the DfT.

"Currently, drivers face inconsistent parking rules, clunky user experiences, and unnecessary barriers to something that should be simple," it said. 

"The National Parking Platform fixes this, connecting participating car parks to a shared platform, through which drivers can pay using any approved app – cutting confusion, reducing the chance of fines, and opening up the parking market to fairer competition."

The platform will be run by private parking companies, in partnership with councils, on a not-for-profit basis. The DfT promised that it will "operate under clear terms to ensure transparency, sustainability, and public value" – and said the government will monitor the platform to ensure compliance.

It has already been rolled out to 10 local authorities and handles more than 500,000 transactions per month, said the DfT. It has not yet confirmed a timeframe for a wider rollout.

Lilian Greenwood, minister for the future of roads, welcomed the development: "This government is on the side of drivers, and dedicated to giving everyone simpler, more flexible parking. I’m delighted that this fantastic project is being taken on by the parking sector with no extra cost to taxpayers. 

“This is public infrastructure done right: built by government, shaped with councils, and now delivered by the sector that knows it best, at a time when we’re investing a record £1.6bn through our Plan for Change, to mend our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars, and £4.8bn to deliver new road infrastructure that will better connect people.”