Where can I find the answer to this question? Options

[user23]

Precedence is a factor. The nearest parallel to your description is a tax disc. I get a reminder.

I wonder if you and the others would have quite such an aggressive attitude face to face. Are you the same in your cars? What is the term? Keyboard warriors?

Precisely. Now if you could save a few pennies on your road tax by not getting a reminder letter but reading the big numbers printed on the piece of paper in your windscreen, wouldn't this be a good thing?

Given the cuts to council's funding over the past few years, if they can save money by not doing things like this then it all helps to keep public services like libraries and care for the elderly going without having to drastically put up tax to raise the shortfall.

Sorry if you think people's replies are aggressive, perhaps it's because your argument is so weak?

[Andy Capp]

Precisely. Now if you could save a few pennies on your road tax by not getting a reminder letter but reading the big numbers printed on the piece of paper in your windscreen, wouldn't this be a good thing?

Given the cuts to council's funding over the past few years, if they can save money by not doing things like this then it all helps to keep public services like libraries and care for the elderly going without having to drastically put up tax to raise the shortfall.

Sorry if you think people's replies are aggressive, perhaps it's because your argument is so weak?

You pass the cost on - what is so hard about that? Or an automatic annual standing order/direct debit option?

[Andy Capp]

They're arguing for the state to spend it's dwindling funds on reminder letters for people who can't read an expiry date on a permit.

Pass the cost on? E-mail, SMS? Annual reminders are not an unusual thing.

[user23]

You pass the cost on - what is so hard about that? Or an automatic annual standing order option?

From what I read, creating more costly public services through increased administration is something that's unpopular with both the public and politicians.

In fact the direction some want councils to take is that of fewer and cheaper public services. Doing something deemed as unnecessary by many and then passing this cost on to the taxpayer does not fit with current public opinion.

[Andy Capp]

From what I read, creating more costly public services through increased administration is something that's unpopular with both the public and politicians.

In fact the direction many want councils to take is that of fewer and cheaper public services. Doing something deemed as unnecessary by many and then passing this cost on to the taxpayer does not fit with current public opinion.

I'm not saying make the tax payer pay, I'm saying pass the cost on! Presumably the council are making money out of the parking scheme, so I fail to see how the tax payer is being charged anyway, or should I say, cash positive?

[user23]

I'm not saying make the tax payer pay, I'm saying pass the cost on! Presumably the council are making money out of the parking scheme, so I fail to see how the tax payer is being charged anyway, or should I say, cash positive?

As I say, I don't think increasing the cost of a public service due to admin many would seem unnecessary would be a popular move, in my opinion.

[Andy Capp]

As I say, I don't think increasing the cost of a public service due to admin many would seem unnecessary would be a popular or prudent move, in my opinion.

Are you illiterate? PASS THE COST ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The parking system is cash positive, so no increase in cost there!

[Simon Kirby]

No. I'm just saying the state sending letters in the post to tens of thousands of people, to tell them something that's also displayed in the windscreen of their car, that they probably see most days, costs money and that this might not be the most prudent use of taxpayers' cash.

Rather than justifying the very minimum level of service, what's the best affordable service?

Sending e-mail reminders is low cost, and a quick google tells me that around 70% of households have e-mail, so e-mail reminders would improve the level of service at minimal cost.

Sending reminder letters to those who don't have e-mail is getting more expensive, but again a quick google tells me a marketing postcard can cost from as little as 43p delivered, so with a permit charge currently at £25 that seems proportionate to me.

But there are other solutions.

One idea would be for DVLA to provide support for parking permit schemes. It already holds the records for all vehicles and drivers, including driver's home address and the address of the registered keeper of the vehicle, so all it would need to do was provide some kind of protocol for councils to set up schemes with appropriate criteria and then for drivers to register either themselves or their vehicles, and the job's a good 'un. The green meanies would scan the registration number of the vehicles and a quick on-line lookup would tell them if the vehicle was registered for a parking scheme in its current parked location.

Drivers who don't have access to the internet can register by calling in at their council office or send in a form.

Registration would also not need to be time-limited and would only be invalidated if the DVLA data changed.

That's more expensive to engineer, but there are no technological difficulties, all it would take is for DVLA to get buy-in from councils. A good use of central government tax-money in my view as it provides a common good.

And finally WBC could actually fix the underlying parking problem. It's not right that shoppers, workers, and commuters park in residential streets. WBC could create the necessary in-town parking, either directly or by planning conditions such as with Sainsburys, or they could provide a Park-and-Ride. Making it free to park would stop drivers looking for free alternatives in residential roads, and it would also encourage shoppers to visit Newbury so there would be an up-side. WBC would lose a shed-load of parking revenue of course, but they should never have chosen to tax motorists like this in the first place. It would also create problems with businesses who charge their clients to park, such as Parkway and the Train Station, but again the problem is with WBC for not having the foresight to impose appropriate planning conditions, so I think they'll have to take that hit.

[user23]

Are you illiterate? PASS THE COST ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The parking system is cash positive, so no increase in cost there!

Passing the cost on would increase the cost of a permit, which would be unpopular.

No need to be rude if you don't understand the answer.

[Andy Capp]

Passing the cost on would increase the cost of a permit, which would be unpopular.

No need to be rude if you don't understand the answer.

Ignoring people is also rude. Passing the cost on for those that want it, a la VOSA you pillock!

[newres]

Passing the cost on would increase the cost of a permit, which would be unpopular.

No need to be rude if you don't understand the answer.

The permit scheme is revenue generating. So unlike say IT which is just an overhead, it brings money in for virtually no outlay. So if it cost let's say an extra one pound per permit, so what? I daresay most would be happy to set up a standing order/ direct debit if it were offered, in which case it would save money as there would be no need to call out to take payments from permit holders. This would save a substantial sum.

The point is that there are more obvious ways to cut costs and lose headcount and still offer a half decent service without using saving money as an excuse for shoddy service.

[On the edge]

Presumably this means our dear WBC have paid for and are maintaining a computer system that is incapable of cyclic billing without expensive technical changes. What a surprise! Has no one in the IT Department the gumption to go and ask one of the students at any of their local schools to help?

[user23]

The point is that there are more obvious ways to cut costs and lose headcount and still offer a half decent service without using saving money as an excuse for shoddy service.

But you're talking about increasing headcount in councils, not reducing it, for an admin task deemed unnecessary by some on here. This isn't really the way things are going at the moment, from what I've read.

[newres]

But you're talking about increasing headcount in councils, not reducing it, for an admin task deemed unnecessary by some on here. This isn't really the way things are going at the moment, from what I've read.

No, reducing it. Someone phones out and takes payment for renewals currently. Surely direct debits/bank transfers would be cheaper as the person could either be "redeployed"? Total waste of taxpayer's money. Plus there would be a merchant procesing charge on the transaction.

[pbonnay]

Many years ago I had to buy a parking permit from my local council (not WBC) and I cannot remember whether or not reminders were sent. I do remember, however, making sure to renew it in time, as the penalty of not doing so was expensive.

I do wonder if the cost of calculating the cost of the issuing of reminders (and dealing with complaints of them not being sent) might be greater than the cost of sending them out in the first place!

[On the edge]

Many years ago I had to buy a parking permit from my local council (not WBC) and I cannot remember whether or not reminders were sent. I do remember, however, making sure to renew it in time, as the penalty of not doing so was expensive.

I do wonder if the cost of calculating the cost of the issuing of reminders (and dealing with complaints of them not being sent) might be greater than the cost of sending them out in the first place!

Quite so. However, there are many ways this could be administered very economically and probably without any administrative overhead at all. To implement would demand some thinking and basic process understanding; sadly in short supply at our WBC! I won't even bother to suggest anything, but there are myriad examples.

[blackdog]

I get an email when my library books are due for return/renewal - surely it would be easy to set up a way for parking permit holders (and any other regular payers) to register for email reminders. It would require a bit of software but once up and running it would be a costless way of sending reminders.

[On the edge]

I get an email when my library books are due for return/renewal - surely it would be easy to set up a way for parking permit holders (and any other regular payers) to register for email reminders. It would require a bit of software but once up and running it would be a costless way of sending reminders.

Yes, but the Library is another department...

[newres]

Many years ago I had to buy a parking permit from my local council (not WBC) and I cannot remember whether or not reminders were sent. I do remember, however, making sure to renew it in time, as the penalty of not doing so was expensive.

I do wonder if the cost of calculating the cost of the issuing of reminders (and dealing with complaints of them not being sent) might be greater than the cost of sending them out in the first place!

You miss the point. The cynic might say it is deliberate, but the impact of not sending out reminders is that they can check the database for expired permits and then go out and target them. The department that issues the permits also issues the fines. So a permit lapses, send out the warden, issue a £70 fine, then the owner calls in renews his ticket for £25 and pays his fine by post.

Your point may still be correct that the cost of all of this may well be more than the admin that goes into collecting and dealing with appeals and complaints, but WBC wouldn't have a clue about the process costs. They think it is a profitable business, but it may well not be.

[On the edge]

You miss the point. The cynic might say it is deliberate, but the impact of not sending out reminders is that they can check the database for expired permits and then go out and target them. The department that issues the permits also issues the fines. So a permit lapses, send out the warden, issue a £70 fine, then the owner calls in renews his ticket for £25 and pays his fine by post.

Your point may still be correct that the cost of all of this may well be more than the admin that goes into collecting and dealing with appeals and complaints, but WBC wouldn't have a clue about the process costs. They think it is a profitable business, but it may well not be.

Regrettably you may well be right. Its just the sort of games that would be played in an organisation where no one is in control.