Online resident parking permit

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by maggie on October 25, 2021 at 14:32

We seem to have two threads going.

So having wrestled with the IT system for an hour, paid my money, received an on line receipt, and then get a message to say that it had failed, rang Haringey Council for 22 minutes and talked to a very nice woman for 30 minutes and was then reassured that it was all sorted and that I would receive an e mail confirmation for an appointment at Marcus Garvey Library for an interview so that I could have paper permits...

...two days later I get a parking ticket for not having a valid residents parking permit...

...I now have to use up valuable paper ones getting further parking tickets...

...I have yet to get confirmation by e mail of the appointment for x time on Wednesday at Marcus Garvey Library..

... today I received an e mail "Questions regarding your parking permit application. Please log in to your online permit account and respond to these questions... you can access your permit account here https://haringey.tarantopermits.com. If you fail to respond to our questions within 10 calendar days, and where additional evidence is required to substantiate eligibility for a permit, the council may reject the application and refund any payments. Yours faithfully, Parking Services" It then adds "This e mail was sent from an un-monitored e mail address- please do not reply to this e mail"

Is this real? is this phishing? Is this a scam?

What am I supposed to do!!!

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Permalink Reply by Joelle Liblinc on October 25, 2021 at 17:18

Hi Maggie, Sorry about your story and your waste of time.

for what it is worth, I contacted my local Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison and he contacted the person responsible at the Council who seems very satisfied with the implementation of the new system so far (you could not make it up!!). If I were you, I would contact her, copy your local Cllr and your MP (either Catherine West or David Lamy depending on which side of the Borough you are). Here is the response I got from Luke:

Hi Joelle,

We have raised this with both the Lead Cabinet Member (Seema Chandwani) and with the officer overseeing the new system, but we haven't had much detail on what technical changes they are making to resolve the issues (or a timeline). The most recent update from Seema to councillors is included below, which does include some useful information on the main issues experienced based on the data so far though and may be somewhat helpful to you and neighbours.

On your two specific points:

Residents can visit the council's Customer Service centres at Marcus Garvey and Wood Green libraries to get assistance. More details on opening times and booking an appointment here. Residents can also call the council's customer service centre (020 8489 1000) who may be able to assist with some cases depending on the problem, however they may need to refer residents to book a customer services appointment. You can also raise your issue as an online enquiry here. The assistance provided should result in residents being provided with all the tools (e.g. online account correctly configured) to then be able to book visitor permit parking virtually at the time they need it. If this isn't possible, then you should be provided the option of buying a number of paper permits.

Best wishes, Luke.

Update email received:

Dear All

Please see below as an update:

• The new system came online on 2nd Aug 2021
• As of 2nd October (2 months) 9,026 residents are using the new system (i.e. they have successfully purchased their permits) without any intervention from Customer Services. 
• A further 3,835 residents have required intervention from Customer Services. 
  • 71% used without needing help
  • 21% used but needed help

What are the issues for the 21%?

• The highest issue is they were not automatically verified.
  • The main reason for this is their name did not match the name of the council tax payer
  • This could be that the council tax only lists one person and a partner or other household member, or it's in their landlords name or they have it in their maiden name or they are called 'Matthew' on their council tax and they registered under 'Matt' etc. 
  • This requires the resident to upload other form of address ID and it checked by a human.
• The second highest issue is new cars 
  • If a resident has a new car, they need to have their V5c to have the car registered at their address.
  • Due to a DLVA backlog, they may not have this.
  • They need to apply for a temp permit and send in information.
• The third highest issue is address not recognised
  • We use the London Gazette database and the CPZ maps.
  • There are some blips in that data (for example new flats in some areas are not yet showing up, houses which are now flats not showing etc.)
  • We have had 17 incidents of this kind and 13 are resolved.
  • Turnaround time to resolve is now at 4 working days.
• The last highest is payment taken twice or payment not being taken
  • We still have to use the Civica payment system
  • They have had problems
  • It's not unique to parking or Haringey

What was it like before this system?

• All 12,861 residents would have needed some form of human intervention
• New cars would have still been a problem
• All documents still need to be checked
• Visitor permits would need to be processed, printed and posted

Are paper visitor permits still available?

• Yes
• Unlike our neighbouring boroughs, we listened to the EqIA and recognised digital exclusion was a problem 
• Residents can order scratch-card resident permits as they were, however we are speaking to those who are coming through and determining:
  • Genuine digital exclusion 
  • Training residents who have access but just found it tricky
  • Sifting out re-sellers (we have residents who purchase bulk and sell them on for profit)

Are we learning from the issues residents are facing?

• Yes
• We realise we can make things clearer and are moving things around.
• We are developing a FAQ

Do we have videos to show people how to use it?

Creating an online permit account 

https://youtu.be/zfZLQRTYT5k

 

How to purchase visitor vouchers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7juSuzBe--E

 

Activating a visitor voucher

https://youtu.be/m0f0u8Atsyc

 

How to create a resident permit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QElkIThsUY

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Permalink Reply by maggie on October 28, 2021 at 23:48

I received the confirmation for the appointment at Marcus Garvey Library and most things were sorted with the help of the council employee who found that I had paid for and received a receipt for the virtual residents permit despite not successfully uploading the photo of my car logbook. 

I now have a supply of paper visitors parking permits to keep me going for a while, or until I tackle the virtual permits sometime in the future.

I just have to appeal parking tickets accrued during the time I was assured that I was covered by the virtual residents permit when they had not appeared on the system.

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Permalink Reply by Zena Brabazon on October 29, 2021 at 17:45

Hi Maggie

I have just read your post and I would be happy to take this matter up on your behalf. If you would like me to do this please email me at: zena.brabazon@haringey.gov.uk   Include your address and car registration  number, along with the parking ticket reference number.

Thanks 

Zena

Zena Brabazon
Cllr, Harringay ward

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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on October 25, 2021 at 17:21

Last evening, I applied online for a resident's permit. After reading the horror stories I dug in expecting a vexing experience but was happy to find that the system worked perfectly.  An e-mail confirming the immediate effect of the permit arrived in seconds.  My only regret was that the payment platform seems a bit clumsy and doesn't accept Paypal which I would prefer. 

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on October 28, 2021 at 11:15

Seems the Parking Service knows they and their contractors have made a big mess-up and somebody is trying to sort it out. And while not challenging the good intentions I'm dubious about the response. It's hardly even within sight of good enough.

Take the two videos for instance. (Links above), The sound quality is poor. The instructions may not be clear especially to someone not entirely comfortable with online form filling. I wonder if they've tested  it, say with a group of volunteers? I used to suggest this to various Council services in years gone by. The answer was always: "Yes, we're doing it already.'

The fact they:"... are developing a FAQ"  only now is very revealing. Not just, as the old saying goes, 'putting the cart before the horse', but trying to fix a new cart which has already broken down at the first outing, while the horse has vanished far into the distance.

I was glad though to see that some people among the Parking lot have a sense of humour. Did  you spot the neat little joke? :
"Unlike our neighbouring boroughs, we listened to the EqIA and recognised digital exclusion was a problem."

Wow, must be really dire in the London borough of Freedonia.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on October 28, 2021 at 11:46

Oh, and I wonder if the IT contract has a clause with compensation?
And if the Council are going to compensate residents who are out of pocket due to the mess-up?

Or if that's too fiddly and costly, at least give residents, say, a couple of complimentary half-day free parking vouchers. For when they have to queue up to sort out the next screw-up. And the one after that.

Or, there's a very easy way to say this, just make a Nick Clegg style auto-tuned "Sorry" Video. Remember how that was such a huge hit in 2012?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUDjRZ30SNo

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Permalink Reply by Max on October 29, 2021 at 11:18

Are there any instructions for the new visitor parking permits? I tried applying online but kept getting errors and couldn’t make head or tail of it. 

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Permalink Reply by Gordon T on October 29, 2021 at 15:20

Haringey's YouTube channel has four 5-minute 'how to' videos about the new parking system - low image and sound quality, better watched with subtitles on.

1. How to create an online parking account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZLQRTYT5k

2. How to purchase a resident parking permit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QElkIThsUY

3. How to purchase a visitor parking permit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7juSuzBe--E

4. How to activate a virtual visitor parking permit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0f0u8Atsyc

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Permalink Reply by Shelene Hawkins on November 5, 2021 at 14:26

Have you had any joy?  I am still getting a service error and being told to try again later.  My residency has been proven so no issue there

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