THOUSANDS of Brits will have to get used to new parking rules that are coming into effect in a major city.
The change is happening in just weeks and is designed to combat fraud.
Brighton and Hove Council has announced it is reorganising how it issues parking permits.
From Monday November 3, all permits issued in the city will be stored digitally.
It means parking permits will no longer need to be displayed in vehicles.
Residents who are unable to renew online will still be able to apply using non-digital routes.
In a statement posted on the Brighton and Hove Council website, a spokesperson for the council said the change would “combat fraud, be more efficient and eliminate the need to print and post permits, reducing our carbon footprint”.
The news has received a mixed reaction from locals with dozens posting comments on Facebook.
‘Another crackpot idea’
One person said: “What it represents is even less service from the Council, and saves them money from printing and postage.
“Anything human or to do with service being eroded.”
Another person wrote: “Another crackpot idea from the council.”
A third person posted: “All right till it gets hacked.”
A fourth person was more positive about the move, however, and said: “We already have this in Worthing.
“As a resident it’s so much better as otherwise every year we had to go to the parking shop in the town centre.
“We recently changed cars which also meant easily moving the permit to the new one.”
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, has backed the plans.
He said: “This is good news for our residents who’ll no longer have to wait for permits to arrive in the post or stick them to their windscreens.
“Similar to vehicle tax, our digital permits will also reduce printing and distribution costs, so are better for the environment and our carbon footprint.
“The switch to digital permits is part of our plan to make parking simpler and fairer for everyone.
“As a council, it’s important we continuously look for new and innovative ways to make parking serve our residents and be easier and more efficient.”
How it will affect drivers
The digital system will apply only when residents renew their permits or change vehicles.
The process for renewing permits remains the same and residents will be contacted, as normal, around six weeks before their current permit is due to expire to remind them it’s time to renew.
They’ll now also receive a text message a week before permits are due for renewal
Until they expire, existing paper permits should still be displayed in vehicles, said the council.
These residents will continue to receive a reminder letter explaining how their permit works, the start and end dates, and what will happen when they need to renew in the future.
In a move that could affect thousands more motorists, Brighton and Hove Council said it plans to expand the digital permit scheme to include trade and visitor permits.
This will, however, only take place after the initial rollout of the digital permits to residents.
