Glasgow is to introduce an appeals process for rejected parking permit bids, after concerns were raised over residents unable to park near their homes as they don’t own their cars.
Residents in parking zones require a permit but some people, such as taxi drivers, have been unable to secure the document as their vehicles aren’t registered in their name.
At a recent full council meeting, Cllr Jill Brown, Labour, asked what support would be provided to taxi drivers who are “currently denied permits as they don’t own their own vehicles”.
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Cllr Angus Millar, Glasgow’s transport convener, said he understood “there have been a number of issues recently in cases whereby residents have not been able to meet the detailed criteria set out in order to get a residents’ parking permit”.
This is “usually because the vehicle is not registered in their name”, he said. “The relevant criteria for parking zones were introduced to stop potential abuse of the permit system but I do recognise there may be circumstances that don’t fit with those anticipated in the setting of the criteria.”
Council officials are working on “a parking and bus lane appeals panel” which will “review and hear appeals concerning parking charge notices, bus lane charge notices, parking permit and disabled bay application refusals”.
Cllr Millar said: “As part of this panel, if the applicant can provide alternative evidence that the vehicle is kept at their address and for the main use of the applicant, then the panel may be able to approve the application.
“An example of this will be documentation in the form of car insurance showing the vehicle registration and that the policy holder was the resident living within the zone.”
Currently, residents must prove they live within a qualifying property and the vehicle is registered in their name at that property, except “in the case of company vehicles”.
It is expected appeals will start to be heard in January. However Cllr Brown criticised the length of time it has taken to introduce the process. She initially highlighted the issue in January this year, after one Hillhead woman raised her case with the councillor.
The 26-year-old teacher, who asked not to be named, said she often ended up walking through Kelvingrove Park alone at night as she couldn’t park on her street. She had been unable to get a permit as the lease for her car was in her stepdad’s name.
Cllr Millar said: “Cllr Brown is far from the only elected member over the years to have raised the question of whether an appeals process can be put in place. Indeed, none has been put in place prior to this administration.
“I think it’s in recognition of the fact that as we roll out parking controls to a greater number of areas in the city, there are potentials for additional anomalies to be identified, and therefore it’s increasingly appropriate that such an appeals process be put in place.”
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