More than 2,800 free parking permits have been issued in Barking and Dagenham since last March.
Free parking for key workers will end in Barking and Dagenham on April 1.
NHS staff and other essential workers have been able to park for free in the borough since March last year.
The council has issued more than 2,800 free parking permits, including 1,875 to NHS staff, since the beginning of the pandemic.
However, as lockdown restrictions begin to ease, all residents will be expected to start paying for parking again from next month.
New permits are being introduced which will see key workers paying the equivalent of 27p a day.
There will also be special permits for commercial care agency staff and for the voluntary sector.
Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said, “Doctors, nurses, teachers and frontline staff are just some of the heroes that have kept us safe and ensured that services have continued throughout the pandemic and they fully deserve all our thanks.
“As soon as lockdown kicked in, we wanted their focus to be on their job and looking after themselves – that’s why we brought in the free parking permits.
“It was the least we could do, and I’m so glad that so many took up the offer.
“With the roadmap out of lockdown, and as life starts to get back to normal, council services too will have to change again.”
Residents who currently have a free permit will be able to use it until Wednesday 31 March, but will need to apply and pay for a new key worker permit by Thursday 1 April.
The council says the situation will be kept under review, in case tighter coronavirus restrictions return.
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Tags: Dagenham, Barking, NHS, Covid-19, parking
