Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Online Parking Services Shut down, 2 - 10th May
The following from Haringey Council's Press Office:
The online parking permit and penalty charge payment services will be closed down for nine days between 2nd and 10th May to enable upgrading of the system.
Residents are urged to renew resident permits, order more visitor permits if they are running low, or make any new applications well before the 1st May.
We apologise for the inconvenience but we need to do this to upgrade the system which will allow access to a greater range of online parking services and enable the council to provide a better overall service in the future.
Residents will not be able to use the online services during this time or be served as normal at a Customer Service Centre to:
* Renew or make a first application for a Resident Permit
* Order Resident Visitor Permit Vouchers
* Pay for a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
There will be very limited opportunity to purchase any sort of permit at a Customer Service Centre during this period.
The council is taking extra steps to ensure that all renewals that are due before 10th May are completed before the system is shutdown.
During this shutdown period residents will still be able to pay a PCN via the automated telephone payment line by calling your 0845 1300130. Full details can be found on the penalty notice.
Between now and the shutdown there are still several ways to apply for a resident permit or resident visitor permit voucher.
Online: by visiting www.haringey.gov.uk/parking
By post: by completing an application form and sending it to PO Box 55235, London Borough of Haringey, N22 9DF.
Tags for Forum Posts: parking, parking permits online
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Malcolm on
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I'd like to believe this will also mean they won't be enforcing out-of-date parking permits during this period as well. Anyone know if this is the case?
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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If your parking permit is coming up for renewal, Malcolm. as there are still three weeks to go before the shutdown, why not apply now and ensure that you have a valid permit? The HoL site admin gave contact details above.
The same applies if you need to get some more visitor permits.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Bailey on
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9 days shutdown to perform a system upgrade? Who does the Council hire to manage IT services?! I work in the industry (for the private sector), and I've never heard of anyone allowing from more than a few hours to at most a weekend, for a total service suspension. Normally it's budget related, but I bet they're paying a fortune for this one, and will it again come from Civica who took over 6 months to get the data leakage issues resolved (http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/haringey-s-permit-payme...)?!
I note with no surprise that we will of course still be able to pay any fines. No problem there!
So how can a 9 day service suspension be acceptable? Without tongue in cheek, this is entirely unacceptable and is another spectacularly poor show of how a service for residents is delivered; truly a department which the Council should be "proud" of. This action demonstrates without much room for counter-argument, that the "service" is run merely with the intent to generate revenues from residents, and not to with the intent to actually provide a valuable service to us, in any way.
Why can't we "be served as normal at a Customer Service Centre", and why is there only to be "very limited opportunity to purchase any sort of permit at a Customer Service Centre during this period"?
We used to be able to buy permits in person. If Parking Services really wanted to provide us with a service that was of any real value to residents, rather than one which only meets their own needs, they would surely fall back to using the Customer Service counters so we could at least visit in person to get permits.
I think that this is a disgrace, but it certainly comes as no surprise!
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Joe, having posted your challenging questions online, why not ask them directly to the head honchos responsible at the Council? A quick cut 'n' paste will do the trick. Post the answers here so we can all read them. Here's a list of email addresses for your use:
Cllr Nilgun Canver - cabinet councillor whose remit includes the Parking Service. nilgun.canver@haringey.gov.uk
Cllr Joe Goldberg - cabinet councillor whose remit includes IT. joe.goldberg@haringey.gov.uk
Ms Lyn Garner - Director of Place & Sustainability (i.e. the Environment Department) lyn.garner@haringey.gov.uk
Ms Joan Hancox - Assistant Director joan.hancox@haringey.gov.uk
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Joe the council hires Civica to manage their IT services (for the parking taxes). I would have expected such a system upgrade to have been performed overnight, such as happens with a serious computing operation like eBay, Amazon or HarringayOnLine – rather than be out for a week and a half.
It sounds more like a case of back-to-the-drawing board than an upgrade.
One might imagine that this is the first time Civica have built an online payments system, but according to their website, they're past masters at it.
From the FoI I did via WhatdoTheyKnow, we know that in the current finanical year:
The total amount paid, to date, to Civica and associated 3rd parties (who are paid via Civica) in the current financial year is £817,000
One wonders if Civica have any performance targets to meet, whether this "upgrade" is being done under any contractual penalty clauses, or whether its all cost-plus, with unlimited funds available until they get it right?
Surely this reflects on competence at either Civica, the Council, or both?
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"One wonders . . ."
Does one? I know that conjecture and speculation is great fun. But after Easter why not ask?
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Alan, I might. But how much responsibility do elected councillors have to wonder the same things, on behalf of all residents? It's more "fun" for car-less Carter than for the poor *&^^%$£ who continue to run motor cars in this Borough.
Are my musings perhaps questions that councillors need to be asking, nay demanding, answers to?
BTW, it may be a small consolation to some, but there is currently untaxed parking available in Finsbury Park. Thanks to vandalism, all four parking permit machines are suspended ("temporarily").
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So Car-less Carter online wondered
If Haringey had once more blundered.
But found it much more fun to muse
Than ask the questions; get the news.
He thought: “There’s just a chance the
Parking staff may have an answer!
So I prefer to post my kvetches
Poking fun at those poor wretches".
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Alan very clever; one also wonders if you've missed your calling?!
I've made FoI requests a number of times in the past, including most recently, on the amount of cash that Civica have been paid this year.
I suppose the real reason I don't immediately leap into action over those points I make, is that I know from experience that one of the statutory reasons available to councils to refuse to answer, is that information can be deemed to be commercially confidential.
I understand why questions about personnel are (justifiably) exempt, but I do believe the commercially sensitive excuse is wielded too often and unreasonably.
In order to obtain a copy of the Lease of Alexandra Palace, it took a second Appeal to the council, another Appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner and then the passage of one year. Sometimes its hard to hold the council to account and when info is wrongly withheld from the public, there is no sanction.
I may put in some detailed questions about the Civica contract, but no one should be surprised if this is ruled private, despite (because?) the fact that piles of public cash have been transferred to this company.
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Clive, you and Joe Bailey have raised several entirely fair and reasonable questions/queries about the Parking Service upgrade/suspension of service. John D added the equally pertinent question about why the shut-down wasn't planned for over the Easter holiday.
I suggested that as well as posting on HoL you ask the questions directly to staff and councillors responsible. None of you need a councillor to hold your hand, or do it for you. You may even want to write as a team.
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