Concerns over how to pay for visitors parking in Portsmouth raised

All parking charges, including in parking zones, were dropped in Portsmouth temporarily at the beginning of lockdown.

However, since restrictions were brought back on June 1 some residents found they were unable to buy visitors' parking tickets, known as the scratch cards, from the usual places such as libraries since they were still closed.

Instead they were told to use the RingGo service which involves registering online and then paying over the phone.

But Les Stevens who lives in Silver Street within the KB zone in the south of the city had concerns. The 70-year-old former councillor said: 'In the KB zone nowhere is open to buy them because of lockdown and I have elderly neighbours who aren't able to use RingGo - and first of all we didn't even know that was an option.

'There's a nursery near to me and the workers haven't been able to get the usual tickets and have been risking fines. I think it's totally unfair people should risk getting fines when they can't actually pay.

'During lockdown I know a lot of children have come back to live with their parents and they can't park. In KB zone we are surrounded by other zones.'

He added: 'All enforcement notices issued in residential parking zones where the residents are unable to buy these scratch cards should be cancelled.'

But the council said people who are unable to use RingGo can call the civic offices to order the tickets.

A spokeswoman said: 'There are a variety of options for getting scratch card and all these can be found on our website.

'If you are unable to use RingGo and your zone scratchcard is not currently available through one of the above outlets, please call the Parking Office on 023 9268 8310 between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) for assistance.'

Scratch cards for some zones are available through the following outlets:

Albert Road Post Office- zones KC, MA, MB, MC, MD and ME Somerstown Post Office - zones LA and LB Buckland Post Office - zones FA, FC, FD and GA

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