Borough's digital visitor parking permits go live

Reading Borough Council's digital visitor parking permit scheme goes live

A new digital visitor parking permit scheme will be rolled out across a borough following a 15-month trial.

Residents in Reading, Berkshire, will be able to use the system to book permits by the hour and manage bookings online.

Digital permits will now be provided to all new applicants, but existing paper permits will remain valid until they expire.

Lead councillor for climate strategy and transport John Ennis said: "Digital visitor permits offer residents much more flexibility when it comes to booking parking for their visitors."

Digital residents' permits were introduced across Reading in November 2023 and a trial started in Lower Caversham in March 2024.

The trial revealed that most visitor parking sessions were short, with more than 42% using just one or two hours.

Each permit pack will be for 120 hours and residents will be able to book visits in minimum blocks of one hour.

Previously, the scratch card system for visitor parking could only be booked for half a day at a time.

Households will receive two free packs, totalling 240 hours and they can purchase another five packs per year, totalling 600 hours, at a cost of £26 per pack.

To book parking for a visitor, permit holders simply log on to their account, select the number of hours they want, set the start time and date and enter the visitor's vehicle registration.

Mr Ennis said parking can be booked by the hour which means "householders will no longer have to waste half-day permits on short visits".

"The digital scheme cuts down on printing and postal costs while civil enforcement officers can still instantly check parked vehicles on their handheld devices," he added.