No surprise that York council has had to apologise over new digital parking permit scheme - Yorkshire Post Letters

Is it not of any surprise to residents of York that council bosses have had to finally apologise for not asking residents views about the new digital parking permit scheme before it's inception rather than leaving it to over a year after it's commencement? Yorkshire Post, November 17, 2022.

It appears that the opposite has happened of making the new parking scheme more efficient by putting unnecessary additional pressures on staff resources, probably caused due to insufficient liaison with the 'customers' who are paying for an inferior service.

This has mainly affected some elderly residents, who rely on their vital carers, who will have a difficult job trying to estimate times when they will be visiting these residents due to increased traffic on the roads.

The lack of flexibility of the new parking permits is impinging on people's lives with reports of the elderly telling visitors not to go and visit them due to the complexity of the new digital system is an utter disgrace brought about by senior officers and councillors who designed the scheme to save a few pounds for the council.

Removal of the old paper system shouldn't have happened until all the operational problems were ironed out.

Denying elderly and vulnerable people visitors, who will rely especially during the autumn and winter months, when the nights are long, look forward to having a chat with friends who can assess their health and wellbeing.

I'm afraid that verbal apologies after such a long drawn out period, when the scheme should have been pulled until it was running successfully, is not enough as the increased stress and anxiety to staff and residents could have been avoided.

Residents should be given three months free residents parking as compensation from York City Council for the disruption they have caused to residents during the last year or so.