Three days before a raft of new parking zones are due to go live, the council’s new online parking permit system is still riven by bugs stopping people buying permits.
The problems first started becoming apparent more than a month ago, when thousands of letters were sent out to households in Hanover and Elm Grove, Craven Vale, Preston Village and Balfour.
Residents then had issues registering on the new system for first permits. But the problems really started on September 21, when second permits became available – in theory.
In practice, nobody has been able to purchase a second permit yet – and there are also issues with being able to access the new virtual visitor permits, which are being sold instead of the hard copy scratchcards used in older parking zones.
Meanwhile, some residents have been sent two or three duplicate permits because of a printing error – and another batch has got lost in the post entirely.
The council is urging people to be patient, and when the zones – F (extension), I, K, S and V – go live on Monday, only warning notices will be issued to cars in the first week.
And anyone who has bought a permit but hasn’t yet received it is being reassured that wardens will be able to use handheld computers to check whether the car has a permit before issuing a ticket.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City council said: “We apologise for teething problems with online permits which we’re working hard to resolve.
“It’s our intention that nobody misses out on a permit due to these problems and nobody gets prosecuted for not having a permit due to these problems.”
One of the biggest councils in the country, a £750m budget, and they can’t organize a pi++-up in a brewery. If this was a private sector initiative, people would be fired and heads would roll. I guarantee you – not one person in this flaky organisation will even be held accountable.
There is ABSOLUTELY no justification for these parking permits except to raise revenue to replace government funding! And it is a sign of the spineless nature of the British, that we just sit and take it!!!!
If we are one of the richest countries in the world, there should be no reason for cut backs.
We would be a richer overall, if the very top earners paid their correct taxes etc.
We all know that, but can’t fix it.
Yep. That will be why I haven’t received my permit which was paid for on 31/08… have emailed them but also no reply….quite frustrating but at least they are aware of the problem.
Absolute shambles, quick enough to take the £100 out my account over 4 weeks ago and still no permit.