HUNDREDS of Swansea residents every single month could save themselves time and trouble by applying for their car parking permits from Swansea Council online.
A whopping 750 people on average come through the doors of the Contact Centre in the Civic Centre every month to apply for or renew their parking permits, or to apply for permits for friends and visitors.
But for permits which have no charge, such as a resident’s permit for your street or a nearby street, the quickest and most convenient way for residents to apply is via the Council’s website.
Now Swansea Council is hoping more people will deal with them digitally and have coined the hashtag #doitonline in a bid to raise awareness.
Clive Lloyd said: “No one likes a queue and while our Contact Centre staff are extremely professional, we have literally hundreds of people coming through the doors every day on various kinds of business.
“Applying for a permit online saves time travelling and waiting. As a Council we are currently in the middle of a drive to help people who have previously not been able or confident to use the internet online as part of our Get Swansea Online campaign”
Cllr Lloyd said supporting documents did not have to be presented to staff in person:
“A scanned image can be submitted with the online form. If you don’t have a scanner, documents can be photographed using a mobile phone and the picture uploaded. As long as the image and wording on the document is clear.”
Applications for parking permits can be made at www.swansea.gov.uk/parkingpermits
There are a minority of permits which do incur a charge and these can’t currently be dealt with online, though work is taking place to address that.
For people who are not currently confident or familiar enough with computers to feel they can do this, the Council has set up a series of free courses and drop in sessions in libraries and other locations in the city.
Its part of the ‘Get Swansea Online’ campaign to ensure that people aren’t missing out on the benefits of being online, such as job-hunting, keeping up with friends or shopping for bargains.
More details about courses and sessions can be found at www.swansea.gov.uk/getswanseaonline or call 01792 47017
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