A DIGITAL parking permit scheme has been given the green light to pilot in Reading, due to start in October.
The scheme will see digital permits issued instantly and can be used on an hourly basis to provide better value for money, aiming to create a simpler, more flexible parking service.
Following a public consultation by Reading Borough Council in August of this year, a predominantly positive response has meant that the parking service has been given the go-ahead.
During the trial, set to take place in Lower Caversham, parking officers will be maintained to help reassure residents and to provide support.
Further feedback will be taken during the pilot phase, due for consideration at the Traffic Management Subcommittee in 2023 before any expansion of the service.
Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s lead councillor for climate strategy and transport, said: “Digital permits are increasingly and successfully used in other parts of the country.
“The main advantages of digital permits are that they are instantly issued online, negating the delay and cost of physical permits being posted.
“The ability to use visitor permits by the hour should also prove popular, as it represents better value for money for local residents.”
He continued, thanking those who took part in the consultation in August for their “valuable feedback on any concerns.
“Most people welcomed the benefits this digital scheme should offer – it will, of course, be a change for residents who are used to seeing physical permits in windscreens.
“It is important to remind residents that just because a physical permit is not showing, it doesn’t mean a car does not have a permit.
He also made reassurances about attendants, saying: “our wardens will be patrolling the residents’ zone as usual and checking every single vehicle for a valid permit.
“We recognise that regular enforcement checks are a fundamental part of delivering effective residents’ parking schemes.
“I would stress to residents this will be a pilot, which means we welcome all feedback during the trial itself – there are currently 19 residents parking zones in Reading, made up of 16,000 households and 12,000 parking spaces.
“Any future decision to introduce such a scheme boroughwide would be a major one and would be given careful consideration following evaluation of the pilot.”
