Friday 03 February 2012
Environment Department response to media enquiry from the Guernsey Press
Enquiry:
Could you briefly explain how the residents' permit works and how much it costs residents.
Are there any plans in the department to change the scheme? I.e. increase the charge?
Response:
The Environment Department currently operates two residential parking schemes, the Standard Residents' Parking Permit and the Extended Residents' Parking Permit. In total there are approximately 1,500 permits in circulation.
The Standard Permit is available to registered owners who have disc parking (except ½ hour bays) located in close proximity to where they live. The owner nominates the roads where they wish to be able to park overnight until 09:30hrs the following day and also re-park in the same disc zone without having to wait the normal ½ hour period. All other disc zone time restrictions apply. The advantages of this scheme is that permit holders do not have to get up early simply to move their vehicles by 8.00am when the time restrictions come into operation and there is also more flexibility for re-parking in the same disc zone if spaces are available.
The Extended Permit is available to registered owners living in selected roads in St Peter Port mostly around the Town centre. The permit allows a resident to park in specific roads for an additional period of 10-hours over and above the time limits of the disc zone. It also allows the resident to park overnight up until 09:30hrs the following day and also to re-park in the same disc zone without having to wait the normal ½ hour period. Businesses located in a road where the Extended Permit scheme is in operation are entitled to apply for a single permit. The advantage in this case is that generally residents are only required to move their vehicle once in a 24 hour period.
The Department does not currently charge for parking permits but has the agreement of the States to introduce an administration charge of £75 for a 3-year permit. However, this is tied in to an expansion and re-organisation of the Extended Residents' scheme which has not yet been introduced.
A common criticism of the existing Extended Residents' permit scheme is that it only applies to certain areas of Town and therefore residents who are not entitled to a permit often feel disadvantaged. As such, the Department has been developing a scheme that would be far more widespread in the Town area than even the expanded scheme outlined in the previous Road Transport Strategy. The perceived advantages being it that it would be more equitable for the majority of Town residents and also discourage unnecessary vehicle movements, particularly for those persons who live and work in Town. As the proposals go further than those detailed in the Department's 2006 Road Transport Strategy, it is proposed that the States should be given the opportunity to debate the scheme and the Department is well advanced in preparing the necessary States report. The new scheme would replace both of the current schemes.
Further details regarding the existing schemes and the roads included in the Extended Permit Scheme can be found at www.gov.gg/article/2214/Resident-Parking-Permits.
Contact Information:
Karl Guille, Traffic and Transport Services Manager
Environment Department
Tel: 243400
