RichmondCard guidance notes

1. Eligibility

Anybody can apply for a RichmondCard, however, to be eligible for resident 30 minute free parking; Band A vehicle free parking; or a 10% discount for paid parking, your address as given on your application form must

  • Be within the boundary of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
  • Be your 'usual place of abode'. Having an office, shop or hotel in the zone does not entitle you to resident discounts.

Over 75's

If you are over 75 then you will be entitled to a further 10% discount on the standard resident 10% discount, meaning that you will receive a 20% discount on paid parking.

Band A vehicles

Residents with DVLA Band A vehicles, that is those registered on or after 1 March 2001 with engine CO2 emissions of 100g/Km or less, can use a RichmondCard to validate free parking.

Period

RichmondCards have no expiry, however, the terms of usage may be reviewed or the RichmondCard scheme withdrawn at any time by the Council following relevant publicity.

Your vehicle

Must be a passenger vehicle or a goods carrying vehicle the overall height of which does not exceed 2.28 metres and the overall length of which does not exceed 5.25 metres, or a mechanically propelled invalid carriage.

Your privacy

RichmondCards are issued holding only vehicle details and a top-up amount. No personal details are held.

2. How to apply

All applications must be completed and signed and submitted with copies of your proofs (where needed). Unsigned forms or those without proofs (where needed) will not be processed. Post to

Parking Permits
PO Box 466
Twickenham TW1 9JT

Alternatively you can apply online and top-up using a credit or debit card (excluding American Express and Diners card).

3. Proofs

The Council must be satisfied when you are applying for or have been granted a RichmondCard, that you are entitled to it, i.e.

  • That you are a resident of the borough
  • That you can prove your vehicle falls into Band A and you are authorised to drive it if claiming the free Band A vehicle parking.

Although we may not ask for proofs on application, the Council may request proofs at any time. If you cannot prove continued eligibility then the Council will invalidate your RichmondCard.

4. Issue cost

RichmondCards are issued free of charge with a top-up balance of £0, £5, £10, £20, £50 or £100.

Any amount paid to the Council (excluding credit card handling fees) will be added to the card top-up value.

5. Topping-up

You can top-up your RichmondCard to a maximum of £100.

Online

You can top up with a debit or credit card online at the RichmondCard page and transfer your credit to your RichmondCard using any parking machine in the borough (not multi storey car parks).

For an illustrated guide see the RichmondCard online top-up illustration.

At a parking machine

You can top-up with coins at any parking machine in the borough.

For an illustrated guide please see the RichmondCard coin top-up illustration.

6. How to use in multi storey car parks

For use in multi storey car parks please refer to the instructions displayed on the machine.

7. How to use at parking machines

30 minutes free parking

  1. Insert your RichmondCard and wait a few moments for the machine to read your card
  2. Press the green button
  3. Remove your RichmondCard
  4. Collect your pay and display ticket.

For an illustrated guide please see the RichmondCard 30 minutes free parking illustration.

Parking is free for stays of only up to 30 minutes. If you need to park for longer then you will need to pay for the entire stay.

After a free 30 minute parking session your card will be temporarily ‘locked’ and you will be prevented from getting another free 30 minute session for one hour from the start of the first free period. Paid sessions within the locked period are possible and discounts will be applied to any paid session.

Paid for parking

  1. Insert your RichmondCard and wait a few moments for the machine to read your card
  2. Use the + and – buttons to select time
  3. Confirm payment by pushing the green button
  4. Remove your RichmondCard
  5. Collect your pay and display ticket.

For an illustrated guide please see the RichmondCard Pay and Display illustration

Band A vehicles

  1. Insert your RichmondCard and wait a few moments for the machine to read your card
  2. Press the green button
  3. Remove your RichmondCard
  4. Collect your pay and display ticket. You will have been given the maximum stay available from the parking machine.

For an illustrated guide please see the RichmondCard free parking Band A illustration

8. Payment and receipts

Paying by cheque or postal order

Please make cheques or postal orders payable to ‘LBRuT’

Paying by credit or debit card

For security reasons the Council can only accept credit or debit card payment (excluding American Express and Diners Card) with online applications. To pay by card please apply online. Credit card transactions will incur a 1.8% handling fee.

Receipts

Receipts are available on request. Please indicate on your application if you require a receipt.

Failed payments

Bounced cheques or contested card payments will incur a £10 administration fee.

9. Where to park

A RichmondCard will enable the holder to pay for parking at the appropriate tariff, or obtain free parking, in on-street pay and display bays or within any Richmond Council owned car park, provided that the RichmondCard is topped-up with sufficient funds to cover the required parking time at the intended location and is accepted by the parking meter

Always refer to charges displayed on the parking machine.

Your vehicle registration number will be printed on the pay and display ticket provided by the parking machine.

10. Suspensions

The Council regularly suspends bays from normal use for various reasons, e.g. house moves. Any unauthorised vehicles found parked in a suspended bay may be liable for a Penalty Charge Notice. Please make sure before parking that the bay in which you are parked is not subject to a suspension.

11. Change of address

If you change address then please complete a RichmondCard Change or Return(pdf, 31KB) form with proof of your new address. If your new address is within the borough then you can continue to use your RichmondCard without it being updated. Moving out of the borough will end your resident discount and so you will need to return your RichmondCard to be updated.

Forms are available from the Council using the contact details in 17. More information.

12. Change of vehicle

If you change your vehicle registration you will need to complete a RichmondCard Change or Return(pdf, 31KB) form and return your RichmondCard to the Council for reprogramming as your registration is stored on it.

If you indicate that your new vehicle falls into DVLA Band A vehicle (i.e. first registered on or after 1 March 2001 with engine CO2 emissions of 100g/Km or less), then the Council will verify this on the DVLA website.

Forms are available from the Council using the contact details in 17. More information.

13. Turning 75

If you are a resident, pass the age of 75 and would like the 20% over 75s discount, then complete a RichmondCard Change or Return(pdf, 31KB) form and return your RichmondCard to the Council for reprogramming.

Forms are available from the Council using the contact details in 17. More information.

14. Refunds

A RichmondCard holder who surrenders their card to the Council will be entitled to a full refund provided the card surrendered has a top-up value of £1 or over. Refunds of under £5 will normally be given in postage stamps, otherwise a cheque or BACS payment will be issued.

Return your RichmondCard with a completed RichmondCard Change or Return(pdf, 31KB) form, available from the Council using the details in 17. More information.

15. Lost, stolen or destroyed RichmondCards

If a card is lost, stolen or destroyed, the card holder should complete a RichmondCard Change or Return(pdf, 31KB) form as soon as possible to ensure that the card is cancelled.

A refund will only be considered if a card is reported as stolen and a police crime reference number is provided or similar documentation to substantiate the loss.

Any lost or destroyed cards with a remaining monetary value will be refunded at the Councils discretion.

16. Offences

The following are offences and the Council may take further action if you are found to be committing one.

False statements

It is an offence to make a false statement in order to procure a RichmondCard, and the Council may prosecute under either the Theft Acts or other relevant criminal legislation.

The maximum penalty on conviction or indictment is five years imprisonment and/or a fine on summary conviction, six months imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000.

Vehicle must be licensed

It is an offence under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (Section 29) to use or keep a mechanically propelled vehicle on a public road if the vehicle is unlicensed, and it is also an offence to use or keep such a vehicle on a public road if the license is not displayed on the vehicle.

17. More information

You can find more information or get copies of forms

  • Online: Online form
  • Telephone: 08456 122 660 (9am to 5-15pm, Monday to Thursday, 9am – 5pm Fridays (excluding Bank and Public holidays).
  • Write to: Parking Permits, PO Box 46, 6, Twickenham TW1 9JT.
  • Visit In person: at the Civic Centre or your local library.

These guidance notes were last updated 15/12/2011.

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