Parking permits set to go digital in Bristol

Residents and businesses needing parking permits in Bristol will no longer have to display a paper version in their car when a digital system launches in early November 2019.

The city council is launching a new online portal called ‘MiPermit’ in partnership with Chipside, a specialist software company which provides cashless parking and permits services on behalf of local authorities across the UK.

It is hoped that the digital application will make the process of renewing or applying for a permit much easier. From this month, residents and businesses in the Residents Parking Scheme (RPS) who are due to renew their permits will receive a letter directing them to the MiPermit portal, through the council’s website. From there, they can set up an online account, register vehicles, obtain resident and visitor parking permits online at any time of the day and start to use them immediately.

The digital system will allow the council’s enforcement team to digitally check if cars have a valid permit without the need to see one on display, which will improve parking administration and enforcement processes. It will also have the environmental benefit of reducing the need to provide paper permits.

Kye Dudd, cabinet member for Transport at Bristol City Council, said: “Moving to a digital system will significantly improve the customer experience for residents and businesses. The digital process will allow people to self-manage the majority of permit services themselves at any time of the day, including applying for digital resident permits or changing their vehicle registration number.

“It also means residents do not need to display permits in their vehicles, which could be lost, stolen or damaged, and removes the inconvenience of waiting for a new permit to arrive in the post when residents apply for a permit for the first time, renew an existing permit or if they have a need to register a new vehicle. Residents will also be able to apply for digital visitor permits, which are activated in the same way. This will be welcome news for people who receive regular visitors.”