Dear Editor,

The National Trust, alongside many councils, is removing pay and display parking machines and replacing them with mobile phone apps. This is turning what was a simple transaction (put money into a machine and print a ticket) into something complicated that many elderly people find baffling. It is also very unhelpful for foreign visitors, who may have limited command of English and who certainly will not have the app on their phones. A recent Daily Mail survey found that nearly 75% believed that forcing people to use an app discriminated against old people. This is especially bad for the National Trust which relies on older people and foreign visitors for much of its footfall.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Peter Stokes
Beckenham, Kent