Parking Permit Peeve

A couple of months ago I realised my parking permits were well out of date so went online to order new ones.  Nothing happened.  So I phoned and was given a temporary code to put on the dashboard where parking wardens could see it.  Nothing carried on happening, then came a letter telling me Residents’ Parking Permits have now gone virtual and paperless.  So I phoned again as it appeared I’d got lost in the system.   

The lady at Parking Control gave me a new code and told me she’d let me know when the new system was fully up and running.

Yesterday I received an email giving me directions to the website to apply, which I did.

I then emailed this mild snottogram to our local authority Parking Control Technical Support Officer 

 

Dear PCTSO

Thank you for your email, I have now applied for my new resident and visitor's permits.

I have a couple of points to make about the online application forms and I would be grateful if you could pass them on to the appropriate manager, officer, web designer or councillor (as you can see I am copying this to my local councillor).

 

Why in an age of equality and gender neutrality is my sex and marital status required in order to get a parking permit?
It was 'mandatory' that I select a title; the choice being Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Dr or Rev.   

Whilst that last two are not gendered the first four most definitely are and, worse, for women require a choice of marital status.
What if I were a Professor, Sir, Lady, Dame, Duke, Duchess, Rt Hon or HRH? 
What if I were transgender or bisexual, didn't wish to make a gender specific choice and was neither a Dr nor a Rev.
If it's a question of sending documents in the mail, as the daughter of a postman I can assure you that B Bag plus the correct address would reach me.
And as for salutation at the start of any letters the Quakers’ form "Dear Benton Bag" is fine by me (as is your email salutation ‘Morning Benton’).
Many online documents have 'other' or 'do not wish to answer' options, which I think North Tyneside would be wise to adopt.

 

I suppose the request of proof of address via driving licence is acceptable, but personally I'd have no problem with someone else buying a parking permit on my behalf.  However, when these applications were processed by phone no such proof was required.

 

Next, proof of ownership of the vehicle and the fact it is registered to this address.   

Why is this required?  It wasn't a requirement over the phone.  Again I'd have no problem with someone else buying a parking permit on my behalf.  The document I have had to go to the trouble of scanning and submitting is the V5C (one of the options listed) which has written in bold block capitals "THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT PROOF OF OWNERSHIP".

 

I find these questions impertinent, intrusive and irrelevant and the form, overall, unnecessarily intrusive and overly bureaucratic.

 

I also wonder how someone without access to the internet and necessary hardware would acquire a parking permit.  For example a non-driver requiring a permit so that visitors such as family, friends or carers, do not get a parking ticket.

 

Finally, I can remember when parking permits were introduced in our part of North Tyneside and we were assured that they cost nothing and we would only ever be charged for replacing lost or damaged permits. 
My resident's and visitors' permits have cost me £50. 
Seeing as the bulk of the admin work and data input for permits is now being done by residents, rather than paid-for council employees, perhaps we should be paid for our time - say £25 per permit.

 

Take care

Regards

Bentonbag

 

When parking permits were first brought it using a paper system there was no requirement for proof of anything.  The car’s registration number, name and address were sufficient, and/or a cheque if a lost or damaged permit was being replaced.

When online applications came in those details were put on an online form, together with a phone number, or numbers, and, in the fullness of time a clerk would contact you to take debit or credit card details.

Now all this rigmarole, which will provide a treasure trove of personal data for anyone who hacks into the local authority’s system with evil intent.

 

It occurred to me, when I woke up this morning, that if a car is parked illegally North Tyneside’s Parking Control use the registration number to find the name and address of the owner in order to send them a parking ticket and fine.

Now the system is virtual Parking Control Officers will be using a number plate recognition system in order to match cars with the area or street they’re parked in.

Why then when a resident provides them with their car’s registration number, name and address and debit card details, does the local authority require scans of proof of address and ownership of the car in order to apply a virtual resident’s, or send out a paper visitor’s, parking permit?

 

If it’s a question of cost in contacting the Driver Vehicle and Licencing Authority (DVLA) then perhaps take it out of the £25.