IT system permits in Oxfordshire costing more than £70,000
Concerns about online permits as congestion charge launch approaches
More than £70,000 has been spent by Oxfordshire County Council on introducing an online permit system for controlled parking zones and the upcoming congestion charge, which some people have described as “confusing and unreliable”.
The council decided to replace paper scratch-card visitor permits with a digital system last November, aiming to modernise how permits are handled. The same online system will be used for congestion charge permits, with the charge itself starting Wednesday (29 October).
Since the switch to digital, some people in Oxfordshire have struggled to use the online system, especially those without strong IT skills. Among those voicing concerns is Conservative councillor Liam Walker, leader of the opposition Oxfordshire Alliance group. He said, “It’s staggering that the county council has spent more than £70,000 on a digital permit system that so many residents find confusing and unreliable at almost three times what it used to spend on the old scratch-card permits.”
The previous paper permit system cost the council much less, with annual spending between £24,000 and £26,000 in each of the last three financial years, according to a Freedom of Information request.
Labour councillor Susanna Pressel shared further concerns, saying, “Since many people are still finding the online system very difficult to use, there must be a huge number of staff trying to answer calls to the helpline and messages to the email address. I’m hearing about long waits for calls and emails to be answered, which is highly unfortunate. The cabinet needs to tell us why this whole process has been so fraught for many members of the public.”
A council spokesperson said the investment in a digital permit system was essential for managing current and future schemes such as the Traffic Filters trial and the expanded Zero Emission Zone.
They said, “Additionally, the new system allows us to fully digitise residential parking permit operations, including various permit types used in controlled parking zones. This transition streamlines the process and also provides an efficient means of administering permits. In the long run, this will lead to significant synergies and efficiencies between the various permits and schemes we have in place.”
The council confirmed that anyone without internet access can still request physical permits. It is not yet clear how much the digital system will cost in future years.