The app, Denúncia Estacionamento (Report Parking), is free to download from the Google Play store.

The app explains that users can “send a complaint about parking to the respective authorities”. To use it, all you have to do is install it and then fill in some details about the situation, including the location, type of car and problem with the parking, then the application creates an email and sends it to the respective police force.

According to a report by Postal, the police have confirmed that they follow up on citizens' complaints in this way, in accordance with the provisions of article 170.5 of the Highway Code.

The application covers all regions of the country and foresees a series of parking illegalities, such as: cars parked in handicapped spaces or parked in front of a traffic light.

João Pimentel Ferreira, the programmer who developed the app, explains to Polígrafo that the purpose of creating the app was “to report infractions in light of the highway code, mainly related to illegal parking”.

“Initially ANSR issued a statement to the police regarding the app, stating that a person would have to go to the police station to identify themselves, but then I developed means for users to authenticate themselves through the Digital Mobile Key, which, for legal purposes, is equivalent to the required presence”.

The alert is sent to the authority: PSP, GNR or Municipal Police that is closest to the place of occurrence, or, if the user prefers, a general email is sent to the PSP or GNR.

The police cannot accept anonymous complaints, “because the person is required to present themselves as a witness, so that the offender receives the fine”.