[pmontra]

They are to the companies or local administrations making money from them. City councils have some leverage on mobile operators by the means of national governments.

In general, each industry or other organizations hit by changes will be vocal against those changes. Countries implement them when everybody is OK with them or when the organizations not OK with them are politically too weak to matter.

[aziaziazi]

While all you say is very true, that does not make them critical. Critical stuff is what those people/org will buy with the money: clean water, food, antibiotics…

In a harsh environment (war, crisis, epidemic…) you can give up paying the parking but you still need to eat. This is critical.

[forgotusername6]

They've just removed parking meters in a lot of places near me. Parking apps or pay by phone only.