Parking News - May 2024 - Issue 440

Digital

Tackling

Celebrating success

Committed

83% of parking app users would prefer to use one app across the UK*

www.RingGo.co.uk/open-market

Stuart Harrison is looking forward to Parkex – and this time as BPA President!

Simply the best

My year as BPA President has flown by. As all former Presidents appreciate, when Parkex comes round you know you are nearing the home stretch.

I am looking forward to what promises to be another record-breaking Parkex show, with visitor registrations and exhibitor bookings already significantly up on 2023.

Last year, we were at the NEC, Birmingham – but this year we make a welcome return to the CBS Arena in Coventry. Parkex was last held here in 2018.

For the first time, Parkex is co-located with Traffex, Evex and Cold Comfort, for two days of networking and knowledge sharing, and an opportunity to view the very latest products and innovations from across our diverse parking community.

date for 2024 being 20 June, in Peterborough –see pages 48-49.)

Day one of the Parkex BPA Live Theatre includes a workshop giving practical advice and knowledge on safeguarding staff who work in public-facing roles. This will be followed by a live presentation of our Innovation Award finalists and announcement of the winner.

“This is simply going to be the biggest Parkex ever and it is free to attend for delegates. So, if you haven’t registered, please visit the Parkex website to do so”

Day two features a Women in Parking lunch-and-learn session and a Parking Technology Forum. Please also visit the BPA stand to meet representatives of our service boards and Council, to discuss how you can work with us to help shape our future and focus on those issues that matter most to you.

On pages 17-29 of this issue, you will find a comprehensive overview of what’s on and when – including who is exhibiting and who is speaking, and where – so you can plan your visit. This includes the BPA Live Theatre, which will continue to explore many of the themes and discussions that have been hot topics at our recent Leeds, Brighton and Bristol BPA Live events. (Don’t forget, BPA Live continues its tour of the country, with the final

This is simply going to be the biggest Parkex ever and it is free to attend for delegates. So, if you haven’t registered yet, please visit parkex.net to do so.

I look forward to meeting many of you at Parkex on 22-23 May, and thank you for all your support during my time as President.

Stuart Harrison BPA President

I am excited to be sharing this issue with you, containing, as it does, the latest news and info about what’s on and who’s at Parkex later this month (see pages 17-29)! If it’s your first time at the event, be prepared to be blown away by the expertise on offer. If you’re a seasoned regular, expect all the best bits from previous years and more, because the 2024 event features Evex and Cold Comfort, as well as Traffex. I am keeping everything crossed that I dodge the Covid infection that took me down two days before Parkex last year...

Parkex-ready

The show starts here, says Louise Parfitt

This month, Parking News gives a taster of some of the topics that will be discussed. These include Blue Badge fraud and enforcement action (see pages 12-14), which is pertinent because the National Blue Badge Day of Action takes places on 24 May (see pages 48-49).

BPA Lawline helps you to remain dataprotection compliant on pages 30-31. The team will also be available at Parkex to assist with any legal queries you may have.

No doubt the recent government call for evidence will be discussed; see pages 6-7

and 50 for more on this. We also continue the conversation from our March issue about digital traffic regulation orders (pages 34-35).

As Parkex celebrates the good work of the sector, so do we, with a look around an awardwinning car park on pages 40-41, and the story of a long-serving CEO on pages 42-43

Parkex really is the greatest parking event of the year – and I can’t wait to see you there. If there is anything you wish to see featured in the magazine, or have any stories to share, send them to: louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

Parking News is published by the British Parking Association

Editorial and design: CPL One 1 Cambridge Technopark, Cambridge CB5 8PB T: 01223 378000 cplone.co.uk

Editor: Louise Parfitt

editor@britishparking.co.uk T: 01223 378053

Designer: Robyn McCurdy

Advertising: James Martin james.martin@cplone.co.uk T: 01727 739185

Circulation and administration: Linda Page linda.p@britishparking.co.uk

Print production: Adam Cushen Stephens & George Print Group, Goat Mill Road, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 3TD adam.cushen@stephensandgeorge.co.uk T: 01685 388888

Photography and illustration: All images: iStock.com Pages 17-29: Nick Dawson/Smile

Photography

We would like to remind our readers that the views expressed by any contributor to Parking News are not necessarily those of the British

(the

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faith and no responsibility or liability will be accepted, either for their contents or

or for any action taken as a result of anything contained in Parking News.

Survey shows drop in travel in Scotland

A survey of Scotland’s transport and travel habits has found that there was a reduction in travel in 2022 compared with 2019.

It found that, in 2022, 61 per cent of people had travelled the day before their survey interview. This is well below the 2019 figure of 74 per cent, and the lowest figure recorded since the current version of the survey was introduced in 2012.

Fifty-five per cent of journeys were made by driving a car or van, up slightly from 53 per cent in 2019. Walking was the next most popular mode of transport (23 per cent of journeys), followed by 11 per cent as a car passenger, six per cent by bus, two per cent by cycling, and two per cent by rail.

£1.3m to back transport projects

The latest round of the government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) is now open. Organisations and academics can bid for up to £45,000 in funding to research innovative ideas to improve transport in the UK.

The TRIG scheme, delivered by Connected Places Catapult, aims to improve transport across the country and support skilled UK jobs as part of the government’s plan to grow the economy.

Applications close on 21 May. See bit.ly/3W6vCHY

Enforcement changes in Northern Ireland

Changes in how to pay for some parking and who enforces fines came into effect in parts of Northern Ireland last month.

Originally, this was through an agreement between the Department for Infrastructure and local councils.

Now, eight councils in Northern Ireland have entered a new enforcement contract for off-street parking with NSL, part of Marston Holdings.

See also pages 10-11

Government asks if surplus funds from enforcement should return to Treasury

A call for evidence on restricting the generation of surplus funds from traffic contraventions in England is open for responses.

It is part of the government’s ‘Plan for Drivers’, which was published last October, setting out 30 measures, such as stopping unfair enforcement and cracking down on inconsiderate driving, with the aim of making journeys smoother.

In the ministerial foreword to the call for evidence, Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, urged councils, motorists, motoring organisations and the public to comment on whether traffic management measures with penalty fees attached are there to raise money from motorists more than anything else.

He said: ‘Should government remove any suggestion there is a “profit motive” for councils – such as by requiring any surpluses that councils might generate from new charges to be repaid to His Majesty’s Treasury – after the costs of enforcement have been repaid? This seems an appealing solution – and is effectively how speeding fines operate already – but are there unexpected considerations that we should consider.’

The call for evidence opened on 17 March, but many were unaware of it. BPA local authority members have

been meeting to discuss their response.

Isaac Occhipinti, BPA head of external affairs, said: ‘The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 includes provisions to control the use of parking surplus. One hundred per cent of the income from all penalty charges for on-street and off-street contraventions, plus any income from on-street parking fees and charges, must be used to provide, maintain or improve parking, roads and transport services. Income from off-street parking fees and charges is for general use by the local authority, often paying for other public services.

‘This means the total “surplus” and the way it is spent is not as clear-cut as the figures in the report suggest. It is important to remember that all councils’ income, regardless of where it comes from, is reinvested in the community.’

The call for evidence is at bit.ly/ PNMay24CE Deadline for responses is 11 May. See page 50 for more comment.

■ The government has also published the latest in a series of guidance, consultation and research findings, including on low-traffic neighbourhoods, 20mph speed limits, bus lanes, and noise cameras. See bit.ly/PNMay24PD

Deferral on hospital parking charges

Northern Ireland’s Department of Health Minister, Robin Swann, is seeking a two-year deferral to legislation that would remove all hospital parking charges from 12 May.

His intervention reflects practical obstacles with the planned introduction date, as well as deepening budgetary pressures on health.

‘The Hospital Parking Charges Act was passed in 2022 with the best of intentions. I remain entirely supportive of those intentions,’ he said. ‘However, there are logistical issues that make the May 2024 start date unfeasible. Health and social care trusts have advised that the infrastructure required to manage free parking cannot be in place in time.

‘In its absence, trusts have significant concerns about their ability to maintain safe access to their sites. In addition,

it is unfortunately the case that the financial position for our health service has deteriorated in the past two years. A blanket removal of all charges would result in loss of income, resulting in £10m in costs per year in total to control access and maintain car parks. Free parking without traffic management could quickly lead to a free for all, with serious consequences for traffic not just in hospitals, but in surrounding areas.’

Sarah Greenslade, BPA Healthcare Group account manager, said: ‘Were hospital parking to be free in the future, it would divert income from healthcare budgets, and make it more difficult to maintain and improve parking, and to invest in alternative travel, undermining efforts to reduce emissions and congestion.’

See bit.ly/PNMay24HP

Retail staff get protection

The government is to make assault on a retail worker a separate criminal offence, as part of a response to a wave of retail crime.

Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘This announcement sends a clear message that this abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. It will improve the police response, which has historically been poor, as police will now have the necessary data to understand the scale of the problem and allocate sufficient resource to address this issue.’

■ The BPA’s Frontline Officer Welfare Group is campaigning to get added legal protection for the parking sector. Sarah Greenslade, BPA content and research manager, said: ‘We call on all members who have frontline staff to complete our survey on officer abuse. This information will be used to lobby government for greater support and protection.’

To take part in the survey (by 13 May), go to: wkf.ms/3wSOShp

APCOA and Zapmap form data partnership

Parking operator APCOA has agreed a live-data partnership with the electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint app Zapmap.

The agreement aims to make it easier for drivers to find chargers and plan their journeys, with real-time, up-to-the-minute availability.

Motorists will be able to look for APCOA chargepoints using the network filter on the Zapmap app, where they can also search for charging types and speeds.

EV charging is now one of the central pillars of APCOA’s business. The company operates more than 750 EV charging points in the UK, including at Network Rail stations.

Tribute

to Tim Evans

3ti Energy Hubs has announced the death of its founder and CEO, Tim Evans. Ben Marchant, the company’s COO and interim CEO, said Evans’ passing marked the loss of a visionary leader and a tenacious and dedicated coach, campaigner and entrepreneur, as well as a cherished family member and friend.

‘He leaves behind a legacy that is deeply interwoven with his passion for renewable energy and his unwavering commitment to making the world a better place,’ he said. ‘He left an indelible mark on the energy industry, society and his many local communities and every one of us that had the privilege of knowing him.’

Pigott joins Unity5

Unity5, leading provider of the Zatpark platform, has appointed Oli Pigott as chief financial officer.

CEO Dave Herbert said: ‘Oli’s experience in customer-centric organisations demonstrates his ability to keep the customer front and centre, which aligns perfectly with our culture.’

JustPark merger takes the firm to ‘new heights’

UK parking app JustPark is to merge with ParkHub, a leading North American provider of parking management software and payment solutions.

The landmark deal will enable the combined company to bring together technologies and customer bases to create one of the largest parking organisations globally – serving more than 20 million drivers and handling more than US$1bn in booking volume on its payment software.

It’s a strategic move that taps into the growing trend towards digitalisation and the adoption of prepaid parking within the industry. With substantial investment from FTV Capital and LLR Partners, the merger aims to meet the increasing demand for streamlined parking operations and improved customer experience.

The UK parking reservations and payments platform, which will continue to operate as JustPark, will become the first British-born parking app to launch into the US and Canada. In turn, ParkHub will bring its products, including its expertise in sports and events parking, to the UK.

JustPark CEO Anthony Eskinazi said the deal catapults the firm to ‘new heights’. ‘Our dedication to improving the parking experience for drivers continues,’ he said. ‘With our cutting-edge technology and unrivalled support, we’re set to revolutionise parking for our customers and partners, here in the UK and now also in North America.’

Eskinazi will continue to lead the UK team.

JustPark was weeks away from falling into administration in 2020, with revenues down more than 98 per cent because of the pandemic. The company was saved by a grant from the government’s Future Fund, along with help from retailers, and has just announced that it will be making a 100 per cent, plus interest, return on that investment.

Jeff Shanahan, ParkHub CEO (left), and Anthony Eskinazi, JustPark founder and CEO

APN launches Moorside Legal

APN Group, a debt-resolution firm founded in 2023, has announced the launch of Moorside Legal, a legal services firm built from the ground u p to service the private parking industry.

APN Group’s chief executive officer, Mike Marrs, said: ‘It’s a phenomenal achievement to have built a legal services firm from the ground up, particularly in our sector. APN Group’s board knew that this was the right way to deliver the business our clients want, and our customers need. It’s been a hard slog, but we were able to do it because we had exactly the right people for the job. I’m glad we’re now able to announce it to the world, and crack on with delivering truly unified debt recovery to the private parking world.’

Moorside Legal was created by debt industry and litigation experts, including Eddie Harrison, APN’s chief operating officer, and Adam Peacock, Moorside legal’s managing director. Harrison and Peacock previously worked together at Lowell Group, one of Europe’s largest debt purchasers and the largest user of the county courts in England and Wales over the past 10 years.

Harrison said: ‘Having operated within a largely regulated space, with extensive oversight and client requirements, we’re able to offer a service with transparency, integrity and professionalism at its core.’

Through the creation of Moorside Legal, APN Group is able to support clients from pre-litigation through to enforcement, operating pre-legal recoveries, claims, contentious case management, and enforcement processes to suit the client’s requirements.

ECB research alliance to help root out bad enforcement practices

The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) has partnered with an independent social research agency for a pivotal evidence-gathering project.

The alliance with award-winning MEL Research is part of the ECB’s commitment to improving transparency within the enforcement industry and ensuring everyone subject to action is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

Fieldwork for the project will involve a review of randomly selected body-worn video footage taken during enforcement visits. This will be assessed against rigorous criteria in key areas, such as failing to respond to vulnerability and misrepresentation of powers. Evidence gathered will provide the ECB with a clearer picture of current practices and

the real experiences of individuals and agents during the enforcement process. The results will be used to identify areas for improvement.

ECB chief executive Chris Nichols said: ‘Building up a reliable and objective evidence base is of vital importance to our work, and will help us to design standards and an oversight model for enforcement that is targeted, impactful and proportionate. By finding out what is currently going wrong on the doorstep, when and how often, we can design responses that eradicate any bad practice that we encounter.’

A full report will be published in the summer.

NPED and Project Spotlight

The National Persistent Evader Database (NPED) is continuing its work to rid our streets of nuisance vehicles.

Last month, the NPED started work on Project Spotlight, taking number plate readings from moving vehicles leaving around 400 car parks across the country on one day (22 April).

Working with the police-led National Tutelage Service, the insurance, MOT and vehicle excise status of all identified vehicles is being checked to assess levels of non-compliance.

Alan Wood, NPED CEO and founder, said: ‘Project Spotlight is about validating the figures derived from the strategic road network around the levels of vehicle compliance. This will give us the true state of our vehicle community. We don’t believe this work has been done before and are excited to get under way.’ It is hoped that the work can be further developed to build a clearer picture of the level of non-compliant vehicles using our roads, helping to inform future strategies aimed at addressing the issue. The results of the research were due to be published as Parking News went to print and will be included in the magazine next month.

RingGo live in Camden

RingGo went live in the London Borough of Camden last month.

Evidence from East Suffolk Council shows that, since RingGo was introduced there, the number of transactions using the app has risen from 150,000, in 2020, to 1.4 million in 2022/23. Similar growth is expected in Camden.

■ A recent survey by RingGo of 2,000 adults showed motorists across the country are feeling inconvenienced and frustrated by current parking systems. More than two-thirds of those questioned claim to have experienced broken or faulty payment machines, and three out of five find the number of applications they are expected to manage overwhelming.

Peterborough latest council to join NPP

Peterborough City Council is to join the National Parking Platform (NPP).

The NPP will operate across 34 zones in the city and drivers will have a choice of five apps – APCOA, AppyParking, JustPark,PaybyPhone, and RingGo –they can use to pay for their parking.

Peterborough joins a growing list of councils and cities across the UK that are introducing this model. They include Manchester, Coventry, Cheshire West and Chester, and Oxfordshire.

At least 10 more councils are expected to join the NPP in 2024, and the government has committed to moving to a nationwide rollout from the autumn, highlighting the pilot’s ongoing success.

■ Join the discussion on NPP at Parkex (see pages 17-29). You can read more about the NPP in the February issue of Parking News at bit.ly/PNFeb24PP

Canterbury campaign to end irresponsible parking

Canterbury City Council and Kent Fire and Rescue Service have joined forces to warn drivers about the dangerous consequences of irresponsible parking.

Crews at the council’s Canenco waste service continue to face collection problems caused by parked vehicles blocking their access to roads.

As many as 15 streets a day miss their waste collection because of motorists parking their vehicles inconsiderately.

Although missed bins are a frustrating inconvenience for residents and refuse crews, if a fire engine needed to get down those roads because of an emergency, but failed because of poor parking, the result could be devastating.

Under the collaboration, Canenco crews will leave newly designed educational flyers on vehicles blocking road access, in a bid to make people aware of the risks of their poor parking.

Changes to off-street parking across Northern Ireland

Drivers in Belfast are seeing changes to the way the city’s car parks are being run, with the introduction of new enforcement services and a cashless payment system.

The switch, part of a new contract with Marston Holdings, means bluecoated parking attendants will now patrol off-street public car parks, replacing those wearing red uniforms. Their responsibilities and legal authority will remain the same.

Previously, the Department for Infrastructure was responsible for enforcement in the city’s car parks, and it retains responsibility for regulating on-street parking. Belfast City Council is responsible for 30 car parks, half of which are free. Tariffs in its 15 charged sites will

remain the same. As part of the new deal, under which RingGo replaces the current JustPark system in off-street car parks, drivers will be able to pay for parking using mobile devices, pay stations or via telephone. Cash will still be accepted in payment machines.

The other Northern Ireland councils switching to a new contract with Marston and RingGo are Ards and North Down, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid Ulster, and Newry, Mourne and Down. These councils are responsible for operating the majority of charged car parks and setting the tariffs, as well as general upkeep and lighting.

Bee Network’s TravelSafe measures

Bee Network is making further changes to its app so it is easier for bus, tram and train passengers in the Greater Manchester area to report crime and antisocial behaviour. Through the app, users will have access to the TravelSafe live chat function, which is available 24 hours a day and is staffed by professionally trained police call handlers.

The TravelSafe Partnership, a multi-agency initiative set up to deter and prevent crime, believes access to the live chat facility will help reassure passengers and enable them to report incidents more quickly, easily and discreetly.

Passengers who do not have access to a smartphone can report incidents via call points at Metrolink stops. Mayor Andy Burnham said it was ‘essential’ people feel safe when travelling in and around the city, and that investment in the Bee Network was key.

Nottingham green travel service’s milestone and new funding stream

A scheme that helps businesses and organisations in Nottingham make more sustainable travel choices has secured new funding.

The Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund has supported the Workplace Travel Service for the past two years. This has now come to an end, but the city council has secured new funding for the project from the government’s Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Block.

In the past two years, the Workplace Travel Service has engaged with 87 local businesses and provided more than £800,000 in grants to enable the installation of green travel measures, including electric vehicle chargers, bike shelters, and pool e-bikes.

Businesses contribute 25 per cent towards the cost of any scheme, while public sector, voluntary or charitable groups are fully funded.

Councillor Angela Kandola said: ‘Helping local businesses and other organisations become greener and cut harmful air pollution is a key goal of the city council and I’m delighted our Workplace Travel Service can continue to make a big difference locally.’

Shrewsbury Council reconsiders changes to parking

Plans to increase charges and make changes to evening and Sunday parking in councilowned car parks and on-street parking areas in Shrewsbury are being reviewed.

Shropshire Council’s cabinet agreed the changes in January. However, the decision has since been called in for consideration by the council’s economy and environment scrutiny committee, after lobbying by businesses worried about the effect on trade.

The proposals aim to encourage people to park outside the river loop or use other forms of transport, to free up spaces for those who need them most and cut emissions.

New technology targets drivers without permits in Portsmouth

New technology is being introduced in Portsmouth to help enforce parking regulations and free up spaces for residents. The trial measures, being introduced throughout the city from this summer, are designed to ensure drivers comply with parking restrictions in residential parking zones. This should help make spaces more readily available for those who hold valid permits.

A specialised enforcement vehicle, equipped with a camera, will be deployed to identify vehicles without permits during operating hours, a job that civil enforcement officers currently carry out on foot using handheld devices. Streamlining this process will allow the enforcement officers to

conduct more checks across a wider area in a significantly shorter time. Number plates will be checked against a database of permit holders.

The CCTV enforcement car is also equipped to detect vehicles that are not taxed.

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr Gerald VernonJackson, said: ‘Effective enforcement is becoming increasingly crucial as we expand our residential parking zones. The introduction of this cutting-edge enforcement vehicle represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to assuring residents parking zones are being managed fairly and efficiently.’

Ealing’s green investment

Plans to invest more than £28m in streets across Ealing have been unveiled. The proposals are part of the local council’s ongoing commitment to improve roads and pavements, and invest in active travel, such as walking, running, cycling or scooting.

Deputy council leader Deirdre Costigan said the investment will inspire more people to use public transport, to reduce the number of short car journeys and cut harmful emissions.

‘We said we would invest £35m in improving roads and pavements over four years, but we’ve gone way beyond that, with a whopping £28m investment planned in just this year alone,’ she said.

EV charging boost

Oxfordshire County Council will receive £3.6m to triple its number of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers, after the county’s Local EV Infrastructure bid was approved.

Money from the Department for Transport will seed fund a major rollout of infrastructure worth more than £10m. This will result in more than 1,300 public chargers being delivered in the county by the end of 2025. The rest of the funding will come largely from investment by the EV chargepoint operators.

Lancaster action plan

A draft strategy and action plan aimed at safeguarding city centre parking facilities in Lancaster has been approved for public consultation.

Proposals include making sure car parks are in the right place (to reduce the number of vehicles on city centre roads), providing support for electric vehicles, and an accessible and inclusive lowcarbon and active transport system.

Protecting the integrity of the Blue Badge scheme

Blue Badge fraud seems to be on the rise, and there are a significant number of fakes originating from France. But while many local authorities shy away from investing in Blue Badge fraud detection, Sarah Juggins discovers there is a strong economic reason to make enforcement a priority

Even as this article was being written, national agency Blue Badge Fraud Investigation (BBFI) reported discovering three more fake French badges across London. This means more than 20 fake French badges have now been discovered in nine inner-London boroughs since February 2024.

‘We’ve seen an unprecedented rise in Blue Badge fraud of all types in the past few months,’ says Paul Slowey, founder and chief executive of BBFI.

‘While there may be outside factors, it would seem that with fewer local authorities dedicating resources to monitoring and preventing misuse, individuals may be feeling further emboldened to sell or make fake badges. The fake badges that appear to be from outside of the UK may seem to be even “lower risk” to the people committing this type of fraud. Many enforcement officers just wouldn’t recognise that these badges are fake or know what they are looking at, so the risk of discovery is reduced.’

While the source of the badges may be shady, Slowey’s message is crystal clear: ‘No matter where these badges are coming from, the impact on disabled people is the same. It’s important we raise awareness of this and stamp it out.’

A shining example

Despite Slowey’s misgivings about the level of intent of local authorities when it comes to fake Blue Badge detection and enforcement, Portsmouth City Council is one shining example of a local authority prepared to go to great lengths to battle the issue.

Stephen Goodall works for Portsmouth City Council and is one of the most experienced investigators in the UK. He has worked for Portsmouth for 15 years as the senior criminal investigator, and holds qualifications in criminal law and investigative procedures. His enforcement and investigative work extends across the whole of Hampshire. He is also an expert witness in the field of disabled badge prosecution in magistrates’ and crown court, and provides specialist advice and guidance

to legal services and prosecutors across the country.

According to Goodall, there has been a decline in the use of Blue Badges in urban centres since the Covid-19 pandemic, with the knock-on effect being a reduction in the more common misuse of badges. One such example of a ‘common misuse’ is when someone who is not entitled to use a badge does so for convenience while popping into a shop.

While acknowledging this low-level abuse needs tackling, for Goodall, the more worrying trend is an increase in the amount of serious Blue Badge misuse taking place.

‘Unfortunately, we have seen a noticeable increase in the use of deceased persons’ badges and, more alarmingly, stolen disabled badges. The majority of stolen badges we find are being used by students who are obtaining them through anonymous group chats on WhatsApp and Snapchat.’

In Goodall’s experience, for the majority of people caught misusing a Blue Badge, getting a penalty charge notice (PCN) is usually enough to act as a future deterrent. However, he says he has met people misusing a Blue Badge on a daily basis to park for work who feel the risk of occasionally picking up a PCN is worth the financial benefit of free parking five days a week.

A lack of clarity

Two people well versed in the challenges facing disabled motorists are Helen Dolphin, a member of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and senior programme manager for access and inclusion at the Great British Railways Transition Team, and Graham Footer, chief executive of Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK).

Dolphin and Footer are angry and frustrated at the lack of data and subsequent action on Blue Badge fraud.

‘Blue Badge fraud is on the rise, based on the feedback we get from DMUK members, the general public who contact us, and the contact we have with parking providers,’ says Footer.

‘But it is difficult to back up that claim with stats because the Department for Transport (DfT) has failed to publish the prosecution figures as part of its Blue Badge statistical release for the past two years. It has also

“DMUK

believes the DfT is too embarrassed to publish the data because it demonstrates to the public that most local authorities do nothing to tackle the problem of Blue Badge fraud and abuse”

stated that it does not intend to resume producing the prosecution figures for the foreseeable future.

‘DMUK believes the reason behind this decision is because the DfT is too embarrassed because it demonstrates to the public that most local authorities do nothing to tackle the problem of Blue Badge fraud and abuse. So, by ignoring it, it can conclude there is no problem.’

Dolphin adds: ‘Most authorities do nothing to monitor abuse of the scheme, so in the eyes of the DfT there isn’t a problem because there isn’t any data. The fine is only a deterrent if people believe there is a chance they will be caught. And without teams checking badges, there is no danger of being caught.’

Government response

A spokesperson for the DfT says: ‘Statistics are produced by the department each year.

In England, 6,300 badges in the year ending March 2023 were reported to be lost or stolen. Of these, 73 per cent (4,600) were reported to be lost, and 27 per cent (1,700) were stolen. The figures reflect cases that have been recorded in the database. It is possible that not all instances of loss or theft will be reported and recorded, and therefore will not be included in these figures.’

Some ambiguity with the figures can also be attributed to the fact that the DfT leaves the more detailed breakdown of statistics to individual local authorities.

It is an indisputable fact that local authorities are stretched for resources across all departments, but that is an argument that holds no truck with Footer or Dolphin.

‘Many local authorities try to defend their lack of enforcement by stating that it costs a lot of money to go through the prosecution process and their budgets have shrunk, but there are alternatives to prosecution that could be considered,’ says Footer.

Brighton and Hove City Council offers an example of an alternative to prosecution with its community resolution orders, which are run by the police.

This gives a first-time offender a chance to attend a session with a Blue Badge investigator and a police officer. They watch a short video and fill in a questionnaire that informs and checks their understanding of the impact of Blue Badge fraud.

At the time of writing, Brighton and Hove had zero re-offending figures since the introduction of the scheme.

Blue Badge enforcement

Covering losses through action

For Dolphin, investing in resources to tackle Blue Badge fraud all adds up. ‘I’m sure the money local authorities lose in parking revenue would be more than covered by a small fraud resource,’ she said. In other words, the cost of enforcement would be recouped by more people paying for parking.

While some local authorities may be burying their heads in the sand when it comes to Blue Badge misuse, Goodall is leading the charge against the fraudsters.

Alongside his work with Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council, Goodall provides training to CEOs, admin staff and fraud investigators in the detection, apprehension and prosecution of Blue Badge misuse and generic parking-related frauds.

Most recently, Goodall worked with the onstreet enforcement teams in Bridgend and the Isle of Wight, going out with the teams as part of a dedicated Blue Badge enforcement day. A two-day training session in Bridgend resulted in the retention of 22 badges, with a number being successfully prosecuted.

Fighting fraud in Wales

Since 2016, Goodall has also been working with the Welsh Assembly, including Bridgend Council, to create a Blue Badge enforcement framework in each of its 22 authorities. The project suffered a delay because of Covid-19, but is now back up and running.

Goodhall says the aim of the project is ‘for all local authorities across Wales to have the understanding, training and ability to tackle disabled badge misuse in their areas’

In a move designed to streamline the process of checking Blue Badges, DfT has deployed a new ‘enforcement officer view’ to the nationwide ‘manage Blue Badge’ system. This allows CEOs to check quickly at the roadside the validity of any UK Blue Badge on any handheld device. The check – using the badge number – returns all the information required to ascertain the badge’s validity, including all the badge-holder details that are present on the badge, including photo, as well as whether the badge has been cancelled or withdrawn for any reason, including theft or loss.

In Goodall’s opinion, checking badges for validity needn’t be an additional pull on resources. ‘While I appreciate that budget cuts are affecting many authorities, any officers conducting parking enforcement are required to check disabled badges as part of this role,’ he says. ‘Enforcement of Blue Badges does not cost anything and it does not take officers away from their primary role.

‘Most authorities across the UK will be losing money in parking revenue from the misuse of disabled badges, so by enforcing the scheme these losses are stemmed.’

Slowey is even more emphatic when it comes to the economic case for enforcement. ‘The Blue Badge Scheme is an asset to millions. It is a criminal offence to misuse a Blue Badge, and the penalty for misuse, on conviction in a magistrates’ court, is between £100 and £1,000.’

BPA responds

According to BBFI, it is estimated that one in five badges is being used by someone other than the badge holder, with Blue Badge misuse costing the UK approximately £46m each year in lost parking revenue. That is £46m that could be going to local authorities at a time when it is desperately needed.

■ The third National Blue Badge Day of Action will take place on Friday 24 May. The BPA urges all its local authority members to get involved in this initiative to unite all councils in the UK in increasing public awareness about, and enforcing, misuse of Blue Badges. Find out more on pages 48-49 and read more about last year’s day in Parking News July 2023, pages 32-33, or at bit.ly/PNMay24NDA

Isaac Occhipinti, BPA head of external affairs, says: ‘The BPA is keen to support all the work being done by stakeholders to try to tackle Blue Badge fraud in the UK. It’s unacceptable that there are people trying to abuse the system, a system designed to assist those most in need of priority parking. We will be asking the government to do more to recognise the scale and impact of this issue.’

Representatives from the DfT’s Blue Badge Scheme team* will be on the BPA stand at Parkex if members wish to speak to them. For more on Parkex, see pages 17-29.

* gov.uk/government/collections/blue-badge-scheme

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The power to move

Parkex show guide

Welcome to the UK parking community’s best-loved exhibition, knowledge-sharing and networking event. Dave Smith, BPA head of marketing and events, guides us through what to expect – and where to find it – during two days dedicated to all things mobility

We are delighted to be partnering with Traffex and Evex this year to bring you all the latest news, views and initiatives at the nation’s standout event in the parking and transportation sector calendars. As always, there is so much to see in the Parkex side of the show. Make sure you explore what is happening in the wider mobility space at Traffex, Evex and Cold Comfort, which, for the first time, joins the exhibition floor, bringing together highway management and operation leaders from central government and local councils.

There is no doubt there remains a big appetite for face-to-face events, as the popularity of our BPA Live series so far this year has shown. Early registration numbers for Parkex were 50 per cent up on last year. This, coupled with a sold-out exhibition, clearly demonstrates that this year’s show will be one of our biggest and busiest.

We start our preparation for Parkex as soon as the previous year’s show closes. It’s always a busy period in the planning and build-up to Parkex. Each year, we spend time carefully exploring and understanding what our members want to see more of, and how we can improve on and evolve the parts of previous shows that were well received – all with the aim of delivering an even more engaging experience for our membership community.

Of course, we can’t do this on our own. A huge thank you to all of our speakers, exhibitors, BPA members and those serving on our Council,

Board and Service Boards, who contribute to bringing you a comprehensive programme on key issues. This year, our BPA Live Theatre will continue some of the conversations on topics that our members want to hear about.

As well as the BPA Live Theatre, all things to do with electric vehicles will be discussed and debated in the Evex Theatre – from charging infrastructure to legislation, accessibility standards and future developments.

Our popular summits also return, with our Approved Operator Scheme members’ meeting on day one and our local authority members’ meeting on day two. These are closed sessions that will allow BPA members to discuss specific issues relevant to them, as well as provide networking opportunities.

One of the Parkex highlights is visiting the exhibition, and seeing the creativity, knowledge and passion that goes into developing the products and services to raise standards and make the user experience as easy and seamless as possible.

You will also get to see the finalists of this year’s Innovation Award presenting their innovations in a live, interactive session on day

one. Judges will score them before announcing the winner.

As always, the BPA staff team will be available on stand P47, so please come to say hello. BPA Lawline will be there to answer your questions and point you in the direction of more legal advice (remember, all BPA members can get 30 minutes of free legal advice). Members of our BPA Council and Service Boards will also be there to chat about issues important to you.

The popular Women in Parking community will again be hosting a session in the BPA Live Theatre. Thank you to our sponsors, DCBL and ZatPark, for supporting the group.

We hope you have a fantastic show. There is so much happening, and Parkex and the BPA are at the very heart of everything positive about our sector.

The BPA Women in Parking community is supporting Smart Works, a charity that helps unemployed women prepare for a job interview. If you have an item of high-quality clothing that could be worn to an interview, please bring it to the BPA stand where we will be collecting donations.

What you need to know

When: Wednesday 22 – Thursday 23 May, 9.30am – 5pm (4.30pm on Thursday 23 May)

Where: CBS Arena, Coventry

What: Two days dedicated to all aspects of parking and traffic management

How: Registration is open at parkex.net This website can also assist with finding accommodation: bit.ly/PNApr24PH For journey planning assistance, see bit.ly/PNApr24GT

BPA Live Theatre

Day one – Wednesday 22 May

10.15am Welcome – Stuart Harrison, BPA

President

10.30am Alliance for Parking Data

Standards presentation

Summarising the benefits of using the APDS

11am Tomorrow’s parking world, today

This session explores what the future holds and how to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. It will offer insights, advice and guidance on key areas of development, including:

■ National Parking Platform

■ Alliance for Parking Data Standards

■ Connected and autonomous vehicles

■ Kerbside management.

Moderator

■ Anjna Patel MBE, Chair of BPA Board

Key speakers

■ Aaron Mandalia, solution leader for connected and autonomous vehicles, HORIBA MIRA

■ Andy Graham, director, White Willow Consulting

■ Sarah Randall, director, Agena Group, and chair of TTF Smarter Parking Group

■ Sunil Budhdeo, transport innovation manager, Coventry City Council

■ Ugaitz Goñi, co-founder and CEO, Mitte

■ Michael Dnes, head of the National Parking Platform and future roads technology, Department for Transport

■ Nigel Williams, director, Parking Matters and EPA President

12pm BPA Veterans in Parking – signing of the Armed Forces Covenant

Key speaker

■ Dean Fennell-Connell, sales director, Trellint, and founder of BPA Veterans in Parking

12.30pm Parking Structures Forum

This workshop will provide key takeaways for owners and operators of car parks, including best practice and operational guidance to manage key operational areas, such as:

■ Fire risk assessment

■ Suicide prevention

■ Life-care planning.

Moderator

■ Russell Simmons, CEO, Ballast Nedam, and chair of the BPA Structures Group Key speakers

■ Sufian Haddo, chartered engineer, Tesco Property (building and structures)

■ Arthur Kelly, senior fire engineer, Clarke Banks (fire engineering)

■ Chris Whapples, structural and parking consultant, Stripe Consulting

2pm It’s not just part of the job

A workshop for employees and organisations that employ frontline staff to share and gain practical advice and knowledge to help safeguard staff who work in public-facing roles. It brings together existing good practices and new sector-wide insights to support and protect staff from incidents of abuse.

Moderator

■ Zoe Hall, strategic parking manager, Cornwall Council

Key speakers

■ Melissa Holmes, Midlands and North regional manager, APCOA

■ Jade Neville, market engagement strategist, Trellint, and BPA Parking Technology Interest Group co-chair

3.30pm Innovation Award/Start-up Award

The 2024 Innovation Award is designed to highlight new products, services and sectorleading innovation.

Come and see the latest products and services being showcased in the BPA Live Theatre, with power-pitches, live demonstrations, and interactive elements that will leave you wanting to find out more!

Come to say hi

We look forward to welcoming you to the BPA stand, where you’ll be able to speak with BPA Lawline, meet representatives from the Department for Transport’s Blue Badge scheme, catch up with the BPA membership team, find out more about the Safer Parking Scheme, and pick up BPA member resources. Our stand number is P47, situated in the centre of the hall, diagonally across from the BPA Live Theatre.

The BPA Live Theatre is sponsored by Trellint

Day two – Thursday 23 May

10.30am Keynote address

11am The Private Parking Code and associated framework

An update on the current situation regarding the implementation of the government’s new single Code of Practice and associated framework. Hear from sectorleading experts and practitioners about the expected timeline and impact of the new Code and the support being provided by the BPA.

Moderator

■ Sara Roberts, head of Conformity Assessment Body Transition, BPA

Key speakers

■ Conor Greely, director, Carflow, and chair of the BPA’s Technology, Innovation and Research Board

■ Grahame Rose, director of development, GroupNexus

■ Derek Millard-Smith, partner, JMW Solicitors/ BPA Lawline

■ Gary Osner, CEO, ZZPS

12.30pm BPA Women in Parking lunch and learn

This session will provide an opportunity for members of the Women in Parking community to network and share knowledge and experiences with like-minded professionals, and discuss future development opportunities. Moderators

■ Hannah Fuller, director of commercial relationships, Unity5, and co-founder of BPA Women in Parking

■ Jade Neville, market engagement strategist, Trellint, and co-founder of BPA Women in Parking

Key speakers

■ Emma Kay, founder, WalkSafe

■ Eren Bessim, training and development manager, Safer Business Network

■ Jennie Martin MBE, trustee, Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safet y

2pm Parking Technology Forum

Exploring how we can deliver a parking and customer experience that’s fit for the future.

Key themes in this session include:

■ Cyber security – protecting customers against fraud

■ Digitising and standardising traffic regulation orders

■ The future of car parks, accessibility, and the customer experience

■ EV charging infrastructure and procurement

■ The power of open data

■ Responsible uses of AI.

Moderator

■ Jade Neville, market engagement strategist, Trellint, and BPA Parking Technology Interest Group co-chair

Key speakers

■ Hannah Fuller, director of commercial relationships, Unity5, and BPA Parking Technology Interest Group co-vice chair

■ Conor Greely, director, Carflow, and chair of the BPA’s Technology, Innovation and Research Board

■ Sean Green, parking manager, Westmorland and Furness Council

■ Isaac Occhipinti, head of external affairs, BPA

■ Paul Wright, UK commercial director, Flowbird Smart City UK, and BPA Parking Technology Interest Group co-vice chair

■ Derek McLean, head of product, APT SKIDATA

Speaker bios

Paul Wright

Paul has been in the parking industry for more than 35 years and has seen many changes over that period. One of his highlights was managing the introduction of the new £1 coin and being part of the working group for the Royal Mint. While revenue is still highly important, Paul believes there is much more focus on analytics and customer focus. With the increased introduction of digital solutions and EV charging, he says it is an exciting time for the profession.

Jade Neville

Jade, a parking professional with 17 years’ experience, is market engagement strategist at Trellint. She champions frontline protection, equality and inclusion, co-chairing BPA Women in Parking. Appointed chair of the Women’s Safety Working Group for Women in Transport, she’s active within the BPA, serving on councils and boards, and making history as the BPA’s youngest President!

Hannah Fuller

Structures Group, Suicide Prevention Group, and Fire Risk in Car Parks Group. He won the British Parking Awards Parking Professional of the Year 2015 and Young Parking Professional 2013. In 2019, Russell joined the large construction group Ballast Nedam and is currently CEO of Ballast Nedam UK.

Dean Fennell-Connell

Dean is chair of the BPA Veterans in Parking group, supporting veterans, reservists and military families working in the parking sector, and promoting parking sector careers to the wider military community. Dean served in the Royal Navy before moving into the parking sector, where he has worked for 15 years. He is now sales director for Trellint.

Anjna Patel MBE

Conor Greely

Conor is the director and founder of Carflow, a car park management company specialising in automatic number plate recognition parking management. He is chair of the BPA’s Technology, Innovation and Research Board, and sits on both the BPA Council and Board.

Grahame Rose

Grahame is development director at GroupNexus, one of the UK’s leading car park management companies with a focus on leading-edge technology. He has been in parking for more than 25 years. He is a former BPA Board director and currently sit on its Business Services and Accreditations Board.

Andy Graham

Hannah is a technology enthusiast. She has been in the parking industry for the past 10 years, working across cashless and enforcement software. She represents technology on the BPA Council, and is a co-founder of BPA Women in Parking. Hannah has also been a BPA mentor, and sits on the BPA’s Professional Development and Standards Board.

Russell Simmons, BSc (Hons), MCIOB, CBuildE, MCABE, FCIHT, FBPA, AMICE

A chartered construction manager and chartered building engineer, Russell is the founder of Stripe Consulting. He is chair of the BPA Parking

Anjna has worked in parking and road safety for more than 40 years, starting as a traffic warden and then road safety officer, and working her way up to lead the parking team at Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. She has been chair of the BPA Board for two years and chair of the BPA’s Midlands Group since 2006, making her one of the longest-serving BPA Board members.

Sara Roberts

Andy is principal of White Willow Consulting, specialising in connected vehicles, and runs the TTF’s Connected Vehicle Group. He has worked on projects with AppyWay, Hozah, Caura and several vehicle makers, as well as local authorities. Andy has also assisted the National Parking Platform team in making seamless connections to in-vehicle systems and wider opportunities for payment in vehicle.

Sara is the head of Conformity Assessment Body Transition at the BPA, and leads the team responsible for working with the BPA’s private operator members. She supports, lobbies and informs government as it moves towards delivering the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. Sara has worked with the BPA for nearly four years; before this, she worked as client services director for a private parking operator.

Aaron Mandalia

Aaron has eight years’ experience working within the connected and automated vehicle (CAV) industry, spanning across innovation, technical development and commercial. At HORIBA MIRA, he supports customers to use the engineering services and facilities to ensure that their CAV technology is safe, secure and functionally robust prior to deployment, with a mix of engineering consultancy services and utilisation of the ASSURED CAV test facilities.

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Sarah Randall

Sarah worked in local government for more than 15 years before joining the commerical sector. She is now director of propositions and local authority at Agena Group. Sarah supports the National Parking Platform (NPP) and is an ambassador for the National Persistent Evader Database (NPED). In 2022, she was awarded Parking Person of the Year at the British Parking Awards.

Sunil Budhdeo

a good understanding of the challenges the industry faces and how to overcome them. She is passionate about protecting the safety of frontline officers and is keen to help change the perception of enforcement to assist with this.

Arthur Kelly

Sunil has more than 40 years’ experience in the traffic, transport and ITS Industry. He joined Coventry City Council in 2010, and in his current role as the council’s transport innovation manager has helped with the development of new technology for transportation, including electric-vertical takeoff and landing (E-VTOL) technology.

Ugaitz Goni

Ugaitz, with extensive smart parking experience in the US and Europe, founded and leads Mitte. The company revolutionises parking and mobility through data standardisation, optimising space, and enhancing management capabilities. Mitte is a key player in transforming urban mobility solutions.

Michael Dnes

Arthur has a Master’s degree in aero-mechanical engineering. He spent several years at a global fire engineering company before joining Clarke Banks as a senior fire engineer. Arthur has worked in all sectors of construction from a fire engineering (life safety) perspective. He has extensive experience in the industrial/distribution sector and, more recently, with multi-storey car parks.

Chris Whapples, BSc (Hons), CEng, FIStructE, FICE

Chris is a consultant at Stripe Consulting, with more than 50 years’ experience as a chartered civil and structural engineer. He has co-authored and been overseeing consultant on the IStructE new Car Park Design guidance. Chris has championed the concept of lifecare planning and is a co-author of the ICE Recommendations for Inspection, Maintenance and Management of Car Park Structures

Sufian Haddo

Michael Dnes is head of the National Parking Platform and head of future roads technology at the DfT. In addition to setting up the NPP, he led the creation of RIS2, and has worked with the International Transport Forum to assess the likely impacts of automated vehicles on infrastructure.

Melissa Holmes

With more than seven years’ experience in the parking industry, five years in the police force, and more than 20 years’ experience of managing people, Melissa has

Sufian is a chartered civil and structural engineer with extensive experience as a building design engineer and project management consultant, both in the UK and overseas. He leads the structural and civil engineering team at Tesco to deliver large and often complex commercial building projects. He has developed a passion for future-proofing its retail asset portfolio to enhance safety, longevity and minimise environmental impact.

Zoe Hall

Zoe is the strategic parking manager for Cornwall Council and has more than 16 years’

experience within the industry. She began her parking career as a civil enforcement officer, and remains passionate about frontline officer safety and how we stamp out abuse and collaborate with partners to change the negative culture surrounding parking. Zoe is local authority representative on the BPA Council and is a member of the BPA Professional Development and Standards Board.

Isaac Occhipinti

Isaac is head of external affairs for the BPA. He is currently working on introducing an external affairs and media strategy for the sector. He joined the BPA from the Energy and Utilities Alliance, where he spent more than 15 years working on energy and heating policy.

Gary Osner

Gary has been involved in the parking industry since 1991. He is the founder and CEO of ZZPS, one of the leading UK suppliers for the management of notices emanating from parking on private land, from initial issue through to back-end enforcement. With a passion for customer service and as a BPA Board Director, Gary has worked with the BPA to develop the BPA current Code of Practice to ensure that customers are treated fairly, and on the proposed single Code of Practice consultation.

Parkex social

When: Wednesday 22 May, 5-7pm

Where: CBS Arena Clubhouse

What: Exhibitors are invited for food and drinks and a chance to catch up with colleagues from across the sector.

AOS summit

When: 11am, Wednesday 22 May

Where: Coventry Lounge

Who: This is a closed session for pre-registered AOS members

What: In this session the BPA will share its latest knowledge, insights and lobbying activities with Approved Operator members. We believe the expected consultation on the level of parking charge and debt recovery fee will be open at this stage or imminent. We will look at some of the actual or expected consultation questions posed by DLUHC.

Local authority forum

When: 10am, Thursday 23 May

Where: Coventry Lounge

Who: BPA Council Local Authority representatives

What: Discussions on parking policy matters, including penalty charge notices, moving traffic enforcement, parking charges, adjudication service updates and use of ANPR technology.

Evex

Evex is a new free-to-attend conference, co-located with Parkex, that will examine electric vehicle infrastructure. Topics include:

■ Achieving equitable access for all types of road and parking users

■ How local authorities can deliver charging networks

■ Real-world insights into procurement best practice

■ Using data to match demand with supply

■ Unlocking public confidence in the EV transition.

Don’t miss the Evex keynote panel, ‘How close are we to achieving equitable access to EV charging?’, with Sara Fisher, BPA head of operations, on Wednesday 22 May at 10.30am.

Delivering ethical services with integrity

Award winning civil enforcement and debt recovery nationwide for parking managers and officers.

100% PAYE enforcement agents for quality assurance

Debtor and data segmentation with intelligence-led workflows

Smart contact technology to boost engagement

Open Banking payment channels

ANPR vehicles and DVLA checks by agents on the doorstep

Workshops and CILEx endorsed qualifications for your teams

Our level 2 “Body worn video devices” qualification covers all the relevant legislation, including GDPR, FIA and the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, as well as the National Standards for Enforcement Agents and the CIVEA Code of Practice.

Excel Civil Enforcement is proud to be a British Parking Association sponsor

2024 floor plan

Parkex exhibitor list

Advanced Parking Technology PA3

AppyWay P52

ARVOO Imaging Products P55

Audax Global Solutions P31

Barbour Logic P54

Berry Systems P66

BigChange P80

Bizie P79

Blink P46

BPA P47

BPA Safer Parking Scheme PA1

Cammax P36

CommuniThings P78

Compleo Charging Solutions P38

Conduent Transportation P21

CSL P28

Cummins Allison PA21

DCBL P30

DESIGNA UK P14

Easy Parking Solutions P33

Egis Projects P56

Electroad PA2

Equita PA13

EV Mobiliti PA22

EV Tower PA6

Go2Sim P42

GOLDBECK Construction P64

Hemisphere West Europe P20

IC2 Distribution P88

IMAIL Comms P16

IPS Group UK P70

Jacobs Enforcement P90

Joint TEC Services PA25

JustPark P23

Kerbo Charge Charging Station PA23

Locker Group P87

Markham Global P26

Metric Group P12

Microlog PA18

Mobile Worker Plus P99

Monit Data P40

Nagels (UK) P71

Nayax UK P43

Network Merchants P25

Newlyn P50

NPED PA5

Opcharge P24

OS Comms P68

Paragon ID P76

Parkex 2025 C34

Parking Network PA10

Parkstory PA14

PayByPhone P2

Postworks P48

Raedam PA12

RingGo P10

Sagoss P6

Scheidt & Bachmann P8

SEA P60

Smart Parking P34

Soprema UK P92

Suilvision P62

Survision P72

Tap2Park P82

TKH UK P37

Transfer 360 P94

TWIN P4

VertexGIS P84

Windcave P74

YourParkingSpace P32

ZatPark P22

Zeta Technova P86

Show guide correct at the time of going to print

Mr and Little Miss Well-Informed

Marrying up regulation and guidance on data protection is essential if car park operators are to stay within the law and keep everyone happy, says BPA Lawline’s Derek Millard-Smith and James Harvey

BPA members may recall the roadshows that BPA Lawline presented in 2018, when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect.

We used ‘Mr Men’ to frame this rather dry subject and explain the potential risks to parking businesses when processing data:

■ Mr Nosey wanted to know other motorists’ business, and devised ways to encourage a data breach to receive information that was not his

■ Mr Mischief and Little Miss Trouble sought to swamp otherwise compliant businesses with burdensome Data Subject Access Requests

■ Mr Happy and Little Miss Organised ensured their businesses were compliant, and that data subjects’ rights and freedoms were protected, by heeding guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and appropriate regulation.

Updated guidance

Since Brexit, GDPR has become UK GDPR, and interpretations of the Data Protection Act 2018 have evolved, with some useful case law limiting the ICO’s scope to criticise appropriate due diligence in specific industry sectors.

Furthermore, the deployment of technology in the parking sector has changed the way misuse of private car parking is enforced, payments are taken, and motorists locate available spaces. The advent of such technologies is often stifled, however, by the available legal regulation and linked guidance, which inevitably lags behind the curve.

The Mr Men and Little Misses are very much alive and kicking, and some of their activities have helped us inform the data protection regulator, the ICO, to make its guidance more relevant. It recently issued new guidelines on topics relating to the parking sector, including the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technologies and whether a vehicle registration mark (VRM) is personal data.

Is a VRM ‘personal data’?

When a VRM is collected by ANPR systems or manual ticketing, there is an argument that, on its own, it does not identify anyone, as the number relates to a specific vehicle, not a person. However, when combined with the capability of a parking operator to request registered keeper details from the DVLA (following a breach of parking terms), the VRM can be linked to a person.

The view of the ICO is that a VRM is personal data, irrespective of whether a parking breach has taken place. It expects parking operators to handle all VRMs as personal data and ensure that the correct security and technical measures are in place to process this lawfully.

ANPR technology

When employing ANPR systems to process VRM data, the data protection regulations require parking operators to consider whether its use is appropriate. This includes producing a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) to identify any high-risk processing that could threaten a data subject’s rights and freedoms.

For example, information relating to motorists who need to park in accessible bays may be viewed as the processing of special category data, as it could identify someone who has a health condition.

High-risk processing could also include anyone captured in the background of ANPR images, or children being visible as passengers in cars. Operators must consider how the camera field of vision is framed, to avoid, as far as reasonably possible, excessive processing.

It is an ongoing expectation of the ICO that a DPIA will be produced before a parking operator deploys processing, ensuring that privacy by design and default is incorporated into the heart of their business.

Retention periods

The retention period for VRM data, and the transparency and fairness of processing, are other issues that need to be thought through.

If a VRM contravenes the parking terms and conditions, a longer retention period can be considered to ensure effective enforcement – but what is an appropriate period for retaining non-contravention data, and the justification for doing so?

It is essential to consider this to protect honest motorists and the parking operator, who may have to explain their stance to the ICO if Mr Mischief and Little Miss Trouble have been busy complaining.

It could be said that this data is not required in any capacity, so should be deleted immediately. On the other hand, retaining non-contravention data may allow operators to maximise the fair treatment of consumers by considering trends in car park use. This, in turn, could enable cancellations of PCNs for Mr Forgetful by comparing his typical behaviour when he did remember to buy a parking tariff. If this step was taken, the VRM would have to be pseudonymised so that individuals could not be identified (for example, the VRM can be considered, but without other identifiers that enable identification of a person).

In the interests of transparency and fairness, the ICO has suggested that the use of ANPR technologies be included on car park signage and within privacy policies, so customers know how their information is to be processed.

Updated guidance

The ICO has updated and issued this guidance to clarify what it expects from data controllers when it comes to the use of ANPR technologies and how VRMs are handled.

Parking operators can use it to incorporate the ‘privacy by design and default’ principle into their business – and if they ensure that their Mr Men credentials include Little Miss Organised, Mr Clever and Mr and Little Miss Well-informed, they will ultimately serve a lot of Mr Happies!

Mr Confused or Little Miss Perplexed? Speak to BPA Lawline (see panel, right) if you have any data protection or legal queries.

Derek Millard-Smith

Come to see us at Parkex!

If you are at Parkex, we’d be delighted to see you at the BPA stand where we would be happy to discuss any legal queries you may have. You can also pick up a free BPA Lawline charger and air freshener from us!

Remember, our BPA Lawline team offers 30 minutes of free legal advice as part of your BPA membership.

If you don’t get to see us at Parkex, we can be contacted about any legal issue by emailing bpa@JMW.co.uk or calling us directly on 0345 241 3024.

Easier, cheaper, cleaner

If we are to deliver a sustainable future, travel patterns must change – particularly how we use cars. The Transport Planning Society’s recent policy statement, Just the Ticket!, offers fresh ideas for how parking can help tackle the climate emergency. Andrew Potter, from Parking Perspectives, tells us more

It’s not always appreciated how important parking is in shaping travel patterns. Yet it affects most people who drive. Parking rules are already established and accepted, so it is a ready-made policy tool for helping to deliver the transport system we want for the future.

Just the Ticket! sets out how parking can help to do this. It recognises that many people rely on a car to access goods and services, and that decades of car-centred development patterns cannot be undone overnight.

There are three headline themes: what we need from planning laws; making the use of space more equitable; and the role of environmental taxes and charges.

Planning laws

Limiting parking bays at developments is not a radical suggestion, but it is an essential part of creating places to live and work. With less parking, things can be closer together, making it easier to walk or cycle. However, where off-street parking is reduced at new developments, councils need to make sure

on-street parking controls preserve a level of service for those who need the space.

Maximum limits must also keep in mind the big picture. Smaller-format urban grocery stores, even when serving people who walk or cycle there, will still need enough parking to serve those who drive. If we don’t allow those sites to succeed, residents might drive out of town instead.

We also need to be ready for a future landscape in which travel habits have changed. Just the Ticket! proposes that new developments are built with a mix of

permanent parking (at future levels) and ‘parking supply bridging’: areas that are parking now, but can be repurposed for other uses.

As well as proper provision for cycle and car club parking, planning obligations can be used in positive ways – for example, hotels could provide complimentary cycle use.

Whose

car is it anyway?

We also need to be clear about what parking represents: a use of valuable land. This is about our mindset. Often, a piece of road that is not needed for traffic becomes a parking space by default. This might be the right use in many cases, but councils should first consider how the space can best contribute to the community or retail vitality.

A parking space is 14 square metres of hard-standing, with drainage, lighting and maintenance costs. This is rarely charged for at a rate that matches its true worth. Council tax payers who don’t have cars are subsidising car owners, if local government is not demanding a proper return on this expensive public asset.

We also need to keep focusing on those

who park on green spaces and footways. Nationwide legislation on pavement parking is still needed in England and Wales.

Smart policies

The final theme is how those who continue to enjoy driving can also help to support other, more sustainable modes of travel.

Nottingham’s workplace parking levy* has been a success, and similar approaches could deliver transformative public transport systems elsewhere. But it’s not just about infrastructure investment. Workplace parking should become a taxable benefit. Currently, if an employer pays for an employee’s parking, it’s not considered a taxable benefit. In contrast, employees that are given financial support to travel to work using a bus are taxed. That should be revised and potentially reversed. Charges can be differentiated based on a vehicle’s emissions, size or weight, as a way of reflecting their level of environmental impact, space used, or level of risk to other road users.

It is when a vehicle arrives or leaves a destination that it has the most impact on

congestion, pollution and other people. Rather than charging by length of stay, it may be better to charge based on the time of arrival and departure (‘utility parking’).

Finally, existing legislation allows local authorities to control private-sector tariffs by licensing car parks. This could be a solution to large car parks offering ever-lower rates in an attempt to fill excess capacity, and offers the chance to ensure pricing is, for example, no cheaper than taking a bus.

This is just a selection of the recommendations. There is nothing draconian. They are all about adjusting the balance, with judicious recommendations to progressively transition from a de facto decision to drive and, instead, go easier, cheaper and cleaner by other modes.

■ Just the Ticket! is available at bit.ly/PNMay24JTT Copies will also be available on the BPA stand at Parkex.

* See Parking News, March 2022, pages 24-25, or bit.ly/PNMay24WPL

Step by digital step

Digitalising traffic regulation orders is a hot topic at the moment – and there are different views about the process in terms of timescales and complexity.

Continuing the conversation started in March’s edition, Louise Parfitt asks what steps are involved

Matt Terry, commercial director at AppyWay, got in touch with me following the article on digital traffic regulation orders (DTROs) that we featured in the March edition of Parking News. He says he wants to counter the view that a lot of local authorities seem to hold that moving to a digital system will take years. In his experience, it happens in months – and in one instance, nine weeks. ‘My frustration is with the perception that digitalising traffic regulation orders has to take years. It really doesn’t have to,’ says Terry.

Knowing that this can be a topic that some local authorities view with trepidation, we asked both Terry and Jenny Lonergan, director of VertexGIS, for their advice on ensuring a smoother move to DTROs.

Getting ready

Preparation is key, both Terry and Lonergan emphasise.

‘For the local authority, the immediate need is to assess what TRO data is currently available – what’s in the cupboard, what’s already digitised or mapped – and agree the best route forwards,’ says Terry.

Lonergan is all too aware that resource is a key challenge for local authorities. ‘Many don’t have the resource or expertise to carry out a full digitalisation of their TROs, making the task even more daunting,’ she says. ‘In our experience, if a local authority sets out to digitalise its TROs in-house, alongside its everyday work and without extra help, it may indeed turn into the long and difficult process that some fear it might.’

Communication is key

Next is to ensure that all internal stakeholder teams – transport strategy, parking, geographic information system (GIS), and legal – know this is

“My frustration is with the perception that digitalising traffic regulation orders has to take years. It really doesn’t have to”

happening and what is expected of them, so when the project starts everyone is onboard.

This can happen before a council has agreed on a supplier or decided whether they can undertake the digitalisation in-house.

‘I cannot stress how important this stage is,’ says Terry. ’If all stakeholders aren’t engaged in the process, delays can creep in because time is spent getting people up to speed rather than on progressing the project. Making sure all these anomalies are ironed out is crucial for local authorities having an efficient process from project start to finish.’

Partnering up

If local authorities work with a supplier, then clear parameters need to be agreed from the start.

‘This means saying to the client that in order to digitalise as efficiently as possible, they need to get certain things in place first and then we schedule the project to start to suit the required timeframe,’ explains Terry.

Lonergan says VertexGIS reiterates to its clients the importance of collating as much of the available TRO documentation together at the beginning of the process, to speed up the digitalisation. ‘Many authorities have a vast number of orders for individual towns and areas that are disjointed and sometimes overlap. It is incredibly useful to consolidate all TROs into one digital order, to simplify the DTRO database, thereby speeding up the process of locating, maintaining and amending TROs moving forwards,’ she explains.

Both agree that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

‘What help local authorities require to move to an accurate digital TRO database will vary on a case-by-case basis,’ says Lonergan. ‘Each authority will be at a different stage of digitalisation, so together we seek the most cost-effective approach.’

‘Some local authorities will be able to handle the preliminary scoping stage themselves and it won’t take too long; others may need extra support from an external source,’ adds Terry. He says many of the authorities that AppyWay has worked with have been well ahead on project scoping. ‘Some are better prepared than they may have realised and I wonder if this is where some of the assumed perception comes from that digitalising TRO will take an inordinate amount of time.’

Mapping it out

Once this part is done, then the actual digitalising of a council’s TROs can begin. There needs to be an accurate map of the street view: what lines, signs and markings exist ‘in real life’.

There is often a substantial discrepancy between restrictions found on street and those a council has on record when it comes to TROs – with some councils more aware of discrepancies than others. ‘From a survey, anomalies can be highlighted in order of priority (using a traffic light system) so that the most important anomalies can be dealt with the most promptly, ensuring time and money are spent where needed the most,’ says Lonergan.

‘A survey is a chance to create that absolute baseline to show what’s on street, see what’s missing and base new orders on that,’ says Terry. He believes the best approach is, within a certain tolerance, to accept

“In our experience, if a local authority sets out to digitalise its TROs in-house, alongside its everyday work and without extra help, it may indeed turn into the long and difficult process that some fear it might”

what’s on the street now because then that is legally enforceable. ‘If the restrictions on street do not match the order documentation there is a risk that they are unenforceable. That’s not to say that TROs that are supposed to have been on street are lost forever; they can be added in later, but getting that accurate map is essential. Once you have that, it is easy to maintain with the right software and process.’

Final thoughts

The one thing on which there is agreement among suppliers across the sector, is that DTROs bring huge benefits for a local authority in allowing it to take charge of and manage its kerbside.

‘The benefits are vast: with DTROs the authority can transition from siloed operations at the kerbside into true kerbside management,’ says Terry. ‘The quicker you can get there, the better. The results we have with authorities from Kirklees to St Albans to Lambeth prove that it doesn’t have to take years.’

Lonergan cautions about giving the wrong impression of the complexity of the process. ‘It really is quite involved,’ she says. ‘However, with the right help, problems can quickly be overcome and the process can be far easier and more straightforward than authorities may think. The rewards are immense, both in terms of cost saving and ease of use.’

Lonergan has one last point: ‘It’s important to digitalise TROs, but it’s more important to make sure they are accurate, and it’s even more important to keep them accurate in the future.’

This article follows on from the lead feature in March’s Parking News (see pages 12-15 of the March issue or bit.ly/PNMar24DTRO). If you have something to add to the conversation – on this subject or any other – please get in touch: louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

View from the BPA

Jonathan Allan, BPA head of technology, innovation and research, says: ‘It is important for local authorities to start planning their move to DTROs. Remember, you do not have to digitalise all of your orders to upload to the Department for Transport’s DTRO database in one go, but you can start with your new orders. It’s also important to digitise in a standardised way. The DfT’s guidance – available at bit.ly/PNMay24DT – will help you to do this.’ DTROs will also be discussed at Parkex on day one: see pages 18-19

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Criminal charges

Providers and installers must take steps to secure their EV charging infrastructure against cyberattackers, says David Copeland, product and marketing director at critical connectivity provider CSL

Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to reach more than 50 million units by 2035, driven by factors such as government incentives, increased consumer awareness of the environmental benefits of EVs, and lower running costs.

This rapid growth requires an equally rapid expansion of EV charging infrastructure. In the UK, for instance, it is projected that there will be more than 300,000 public EV chargepoints by 2030.

The race to install enough chargepoints to support the transition to EVs could, however, bring cybersecurity threats.

Charging stations are connected to the internet, which gives cybercriminals a way to gain unauthorised access to them and,

potentially, steal user data. Being located in public places also makes stations difficult to secure.

Home EV charging connections are vulnerable, too, and cyberattackers can use them as a backdoor to get into the homeowner’s network.

One of the most concerning cyberthreats is malware, which can infect EV charging equipment and spread among stations, causing widespread disruption and inconvenience.

‘If somebody can’t charge their car at the time they need to because of malware or some sort of cybersecurity attack, that’s a big problem,’ says Michael McCarthy, chief strategist for cybersecurity firm Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team.

It is important to mitigate these risks and protect EV infrastructure from cyberattacks. Installers of the charging equipment have a vital role to play here, by implementing cybersecurity measures during the installation process.

As well as protecting customers and businesses from the risk of cyberattack, secure EV charging stations offer a number of other benefits, including:

■ Improved reliability and uptime

■ Reduced costs associated with security incidents

■ Enhanced customer satisfaction

■ Increased trust and confidence in the EV charging infrastructure

■ Improved compliance with industry regulations.

Governments and industry associations also have an important role in promoting cybersecurity at EV charging stations, by sharing best practices, providing support to businesses, and enforcing legislation, such as the new EV Public Charge Point Regulations.

These came into force in the UK on 24 November 2023, and aim to improve the user experience, making it easier and more affordable for people to charge their electric vehicles.

Under the regulations, all public EV chargepoints must accept contactless payments; chargepoint operators must provide a reliable and accurate service; the price per kilowatt hour must be clearly displayed before charging begins; and prices cannot increase during charging.

Ensuring that this increasingly vital infrastructure is resilient and cybersecure will save your business time and money, and give your customers peace of mind that you are doing all you can to keep their data safe.

The car park evolution

As Huber looks forward to celebrating its 35th anniversary next year, business manager Barbara Grindley reflects on the changes the sector has seen, and how to build a parking business for the next 35 years

As Huber looks forward to celebrating its 35th anniversary in the car parking industry next year, we are excited to embrace the future as one company: Huber Parking.

HIB Huber Integral Bau was founded in 1990, in Germany, as a family business, specialising in the design and build of multistorey car parks (MSCPs). Concentrating on innovation and bespoke solutions from the start, it soon became a leading competitor in the German car parking sector, providing an all-round service from design and planning to operation and maintenance.

With the Huber name firmly established in Germany, Huber Car Park Systems International was founded in 2008 to focus on the overseas market. Since then, we have built MSCPs in the Netherlands, Norway,

Poland, Luxembourg and the UK. The success of our product, particularly in the UK, led to the foundation in 2018 of a UK-based subsidiary, Huber Car Park Systems UK, to ensure the company would be prepared for the changes Brexit would bring.

Since 1990, the three companies combined have completed more than 300 projects. This experience has contributed decisively to the ever-changing image of a MSCP: once a purely functional, unfriendly facility, car parks are now user-friendly, welcoming, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable buildings. In an ideal world, our car parks fulfil not only their useful purpose, but become landmarks within a community.

‘We are very proud of our success. Each company has worked hard to develop, adapt and perfect its performance to suit its relevant markets, while remaining true to

the fundamental Huber values of progress, trust, quality and added value that are at the core of our high standards,’ says managing director Markus Lauble.

Car park evolution

To build on our success and be ready for a future where traditional MSCPs will become multi-purpose mobility hubs, we decided to merge all three Huber entities into one trading name: Huber Parking. For decades, our three companies have shared enthusiasm for MSCPs, as well as values, know-how, professionalism and ambitions for the future. We now look forward to doing so under one name. Together, we will focus on optimisation of our product, carbon-neutral solutions and sustainability in car park construction.

In the words of Naoum Karikas, managing director: ‘In a modern world featuring everfaster innovation and development, we are confident that the combined expertise at Huber Parking will guarantee that we remain at the cutting-edge of the industry.’

Adanac Park and Ride, Southampton

Celebrating car parks

A cut above

New Market Parking is Cheshire West and Chester’s flagship car park and won ‘best new car park’ at the British Parking Awards last year. Louise Parfitt finds out more

The 803-space, seven-level New Market Parking (NMP) opened at the end of October 2022, as part of the Northgate Scheme development in the heart of Chester. It serves a new market hall, a six-screen cinema, restaurants, bars and offices, as well as the existing Storyhouse cultural centre.

‘It replaces a 1960s market and car park, and is the most significant development in the city for more than 40 years,’ says Andrew Arditti, stakeholder manager, major projects and regeneration, at Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Arditti is clearly delighted with the whole development. ‘We are really proud of our cycle hub that’s located in the car park – it’s the first indoor, secure cycle hub in the city, with parking for 50 cycles and charging for e-bikes.’

Deck the walls

The car park also prides itself on being a focal point for the city’s heritage. Its stairwells have been painted with murals by local artist Graham Boyd. ‘One is about the history of the city and the other is about all the parades Chester hosts: we have historical parades, as well as more recent ones, such as Pride,’ says Arditti. ‘We wanted to make it interesting and brighten up what is usually a dull space. People love the murals.’

The outside walls have also been decorated with plants. ‘It was tricky to plant new trees in the scheme, so we decided to go for a living wall, which has the environmental benefits equivalent to planting 40 trees,’ explains Arditti.

More green credentials

The car park has been fitted with 40 fast (22kW) electric vehicle chargers to make it as future-proof as possible.

‘We also have a couple of bays that are

solely for Blue Badge holders to charge their EVs,’ says Michael Lester, the council’s parking services manager (strategy and development).

The car park’s open sides allow for natural ventilation, so there is no heating or cooling required, making it a fully passive space. There are also nesting boxes for bats and swifts on one of the stair core’s façades.

The Northgate scheme’s operational waste strategy is 100 per cent zero waste to landfill, and 99 per cent of waste from the site’s construction has been recovered or recycled: 200 tonnes of excavated sand was donated to Chester Zoo for animal habitats and recovered Roman sandstone was used to repair Chester’s historic city walls.

“We wanted to make it interesting and brighten up what is usually a dull space. People love the murals”

Not digging deep

Chester has long been recognised as the site of a Roman settlement and it was known that the biggest Roman fortress in the country was located under the site before work began. The construction of Northgate was overseen by a team of archaeologists and Historic England.

The NMP structure is a mixture of steelwork and precast concrete, with the body of the car parking decks made from steel and the decks and circulation cores being formed in concrete.

‘In effect, the car park is on stilts – it’s built on piles that were carefully placed to avoid disturbing the archaeology,’ says Arditti. ‘During the development, we were only permitted to disturb three per cent of the archaeology, but we actually disturbed less than that, which was a fantastic achievement. We still uncovered more than 10,000 Roman artefacts.’

The site is on a slope, so there is a sevenmetre drop from one end to the other. ‘We’ve used that space to create a retail unit under the car park that is being let as a gym, so there is an extra income stream as well,’ adds Arditti.

Worth the work

The scheme was 30 years in development: the previous council was working with a number of partners that all fell by the wayside for various reasons. In the end, in 2019, the council took charge by itself and funded it over a 25-year period. The income from various aspects, including the car park, will pay off that investment.

The car park is pay on exit, and Lester’s team has introduced discounted rates for regular users, including patrons of the cinema. The council’s car parking team of four has a dedicated office space, with toilets, CCTV and security door, by the entrance to the NMP, so customers are easily able to access help.

‘It is the hub for the whole of the borough, from where the team oversees all our car park operations, managing 10 pay-on-foot car parks across the borough and 100 pay and display machines (on street),’ says Lester. ‘They are a fantastic team who have been praised by customers for helping with everything from accessing passes for the cycle hub to assisting customers with flat batteries or punctures.’

NMP is proud to hold Park Mark, and Lester is looking at getting Park Mark Plus. As well as winning at the British Parking Awards 2023, the development has won a number of other awards, including Project of the Year in the NW Construction Awards (Cheshire, Wirral and Warrington sub region) and Best Social Space at the Northern Design Awards.

‘We’re so chuffed with how the development has turned out,’ says Arditti. ‘I think it’s fair to say the NMP is the nicest car park in Chester.’

Calling all car park managers!

Do you own or operate a car park that deserves celebrating? If so, we want to hear from you. Maybe it is in a remote location or has exemplary green credentials; maybe it has been serving the community for a long time, or is bang up to date, embracing all that technology offers; maybe it doubles as a leisure space at weekends, or the team that runs it has exemplary customer service. Please drop us a line and we’ll get in contact to find out more: louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

Main image: The living wall on the side of the NMP has the equivalent carbon benefit of planting 40 trees

Below: Constructing the city’s first secure cycle hub, which is located in the car park

‘Not three bad’

Derek Clayton retired from the parking sector earlier this year after 22 years as a civil enforcement officer (CEO). Louise Parfitt chats to him about changes, challenges and camaraderie

Tell us a little bit about your working life before you joined the parking sector

I joined the army when I was 17: I was in the King’s Regiment (Manchester and Liverpool). On my 18th birthday, I was posted to Northern Ireland. I had to grow up fast. I was there for more than six years and was made an MBE for my services in Northern Ireland in 1995. I also spent time in Cyprus and in Germany: I was there when the Berlin Wall came down. That was an unbelievable day.

When I left the military after 22 years, I had a couple of roles with Securicor and then with a computer company before I applied for a job with Colchester Borough Council as a parking attendant, as we were called back then. In 2011, it became the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) – and I worked there until March this year.

What changes did you see over the years?

The technology is the biggest change. When I started, everything got written down in a notebook. When you were on streets with limited waiting you had to write down all the registrations, which way the vehicle was facing and value positions of the tyres – it took a lot of time! Life’s a lot easier with the handhelds now.

Also, the uniform has changed dramatically and not always for the better, in my opinion. When I started, we wore shirts and ties, peaked caps: you felt smart. Now it’s become too casual.

Bringing in body-worn cameras was the best thing to happen. I had a couple of incidents where people got a solicitor involved to back up their version of events. Then they watched footage from my body-worn camera and threw the case in the bin.

Did you face any situations where you felt threatened?

The most serious incident was when someone attempted to run me over. We called the police and fortunately there was an independent witness to say what had happened.

But there were two incidents that really got to me. One was not long after I started. I’d recently lost my mum to cancer. Someone came up to me and said: ‘I hope your mum dies of cancer’. That really hurt.

The other was on Remembrance Sunday. This couple decided to have a go at me, and the guy said: ‘I bet you don’t even respect the twominute silence’. I was incensed: how dare he say that after the years I spent serving my country?

In all my years, that was the worst of it. I always said to people who had just started, the chance of physical violence was minimal, and a lot of tension can be defused by how you talk to people.

Any standout moments?

My most memorable moment was when Colchester United was playing at home. We worked with the police in order to manage the clearways

around the stadium. Once, when a car stopped further up the road to avoid us, but was still in contravention, I was told by a police officer to jump in the car and we drove on blue lights to the vehicle to issue a ticket. That was quite a morning!

What now?

I am now a DJ! I started learning how to do it about two years ago because I have always been interested in music. I love it: it’s brilliant when you have 80-odd people up dancing to the tunes you are playing.

Jake England is group operating manager at NEPP and worked with Derek for 11 years.

‘The man; the myth; the legend,’ I fondly recall one colleague calling Derek on many occasions – and they were not the only person to hold Derek in such high regard. Derek’s cool, calm, and collected nature shone through both with members of the public and his peers too: he is such a light-hearted and empathetic gentleman. Derek is never, “not too bad”, but always, “not three bad” – offering comic relief at the end of a hard day’s work. Derek has trained countless peers and he is respected by all, touching the hearts of many. Derek will be missed at NEPP: all his colleagues thank him for his years of public service and wish him all the best in the future.’

Hello, one and all

Welcome to the organisations that joined the BPA in January, February and March

January

North Norfolk District Council

north-norfolk.gov.uk

Local authority managing parking.

UK Parking Enforcement

ukpenforcement.co.uk

Car park management, stopping unauthorised parking.

North Yorkshire Council harrogate.gov.uk

Local authority with responsibility for parking.

February

SMARTCITIESIQ

www.EXFORCEserv.com

Aspires to become a leader in intelligent traffic, offering customers tailor-made solutions, including guidance systems and car park monitoring.

Go2Sim

go2sim.com

Offering internet of things (IoT) solutions to the parking and transport industries, its focus is on supplying 4G SIM cards and 4G industrial routers. Go2Sim helps the industry cut data costs by using its FlexiTariff.

Advanced Parking Tech

advancedparking.tech

A parking management software solution that focuses on increasing the accuracy of data by using the latest technology for optimising integrations, processes, data and analytics.

Avalon Technology

avalonparking.com

Car park management, ANPR and software.

Contract Sign Systems

contractsigns.co.uk

Leading sign consultants, designers, manufacturers and installers to more than 400 local authorities, national and

European car park operatives, and blue chip organisations.

EZ-Charge

ez-charge.co.uk

An innovative chargepoint operator, targeting strategically selected off-street charging hubs in the heart of communities where people work, live and play.

March

East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust esneft.nhs.uk

NHS trust serving more than 800,000 patients and with more than 12,000 members of staff.

Showtour Ticketing whitelineparkingmanagement.co.uk

Live events company, with private hire of car parks.

ANPR 365 anpr365.co.uk

Parking management/enforcement services.

Markham Global markhamglobal.co.uk

Markham Global adds life to concrete, waterproofing car park decks, protecting them from corrosion, and arresting moisture seepage.

Joosup

joosup.com

Start-up peer-to-peer EV charger-sharing platform, aiming to provide bookable, affordable and reliable electrified parking for EV owners.

Gala Technology

galatechnology.co.uk

Award-winning payment solutions that enable businesses to request and accept secure, PCI-compliant card payments through any channel that works for their customers.

ITG noisestop.it

Manufacturers of a soundproofing system for manholes and drain covers. A noise-pollution solver for urban areas.

APN Group

apn.co.uk

Enforcement and debt recovery.

Goldbeck Construction

goldbeck.co.uk

Goldbeck Construction is a one-stop construction provider, from design to build, with teams based in both Birmingham and Manchester. Goldbeck Construction completes buildings economically, quickly and sustainably, without sacrificing custom functionality.

Car park in Rotherham Parking facility in Rotherham.

Blaby District Council

blaby.gov.uk

Blaby District Council is a local authority that owns and enforces five pay and display car parks, plus several others at parks and in towns for resident permit parking.

MAV Systems

anprcameras.com

Provider of ANPR cameras.

MOBOTIX mobotix.com

Develops, produces and programs high-end video systems and software for groundbreaking solutions that provide businesses and organisations with actionable data to improve operational efficiency and safety.

1 Stop HSE Training Limited

1stophsetraining.org.uk

Company offering parking enforcement officer and noticeprocessing training.

Farthest Gate

farthestgate.co.uk

Farthest Gate’s platform (Liberator) is designed to digitally transform the way local and central government work and deliver their services, with a holistic approach across parking, highways, and the entire street environment.

Energy Saving Trust

energysavingtrust.org.uk

Leading independent and impartial organisation dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, low-carbon transport and sustainable energy use.

Safe and sound

As the Safer Parking Scheme celebrates its 20th anniversary, Dave Smith, BPA marketing and events manager, looks at the evolution of the Park Mark website in helping motorists to find parking to suit their needs

The user interface for the Safer Parking Scheme’s (SPS) Park Mark website may have changed in 20 years, but the basic principle hasn’t: to help motorists find safe places to park.

The site and the accreditations have, of course, become more sophisticated: users can now search for police-accredited Park Mark car parks that are more accessible; have electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, parent and child bays, or facilities for motorcycles and bicycles; or that cater for airport parking, including meet and greet, and for lorries and coaches.

Beyond parking

We know that parking is never ‘just parking’,

and that different requirements need to be met when drivers set off on their journeys. Travel planning is key, particularly if someone has a disability; it could be the difference between travelling and not travelling at all. When deciding where to park, people also tell us that safety and location are two of their key considerations. In our recent public perceptions survey, safety – and proximity of parking bay to final destination – were each voted the most important factors by 46 per cent of respondents.

Accessible and inclusive

Park Mark-awarded locations are indicated on the Park Mark website car park finder by a dedicated pin. Facilities with multiple awards have additional icons to show the

“If you are a car park operator, we can now provide links on the Park Mark website to your individual car parks or a dedicated company page”

Safety in numbers

Email saferparking@britishparking.co.uk with any updates or questions about your SPS membership and award status.

If you want your car park to be assessed for one or more of our accreditations, please get in touch. One of our area managers will call you for an initial consultation and to discuss a potential site assessment.

different accreditations they hold – for example, Park Mark Plus or Park Mark Freight. As with all data, it’s important that it is kept up to date. Award holders should inform us of any changes, such as to opening times or the number of EV chargepoints available.

Last year, we launched a new accreditation called Park Access. This brought together the Disabled Parking Accreditation and People’s Parking into one new accreditation, to become the UK’s industry benchmark for accessible and inclusive parking and EV charging facilities.

Park Access sites are now featured alongside Park Mark sites on our Park Mark website, and on other major parking apps.

Ultimately, we want all motorists, whatever their needs, to plan their journey, parking and EV charging with confidence.

■ See parkmark.co.uk for details

We currently supply and have vacancies around the UK for Permanent and Temporary positions:

• Civil Enforcement Officers

• Environmental Enforcement Officers

• Parking Back Office (Appeals/Notice Processing /Correspondence)

• Parking Change Management

• Interim Parking Managers

• Car Park Attendants/Marshalls/Stewarding

• Parking Supervisors (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

• Parking Management (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

• Heads of Parking /Directors

• Parking Technologies (Business Development and Project Managers/ Field Service Engineers/General Managers)

• Off Street Parking (Business Development, Contract Managers and Regional Managers)

• CCTV Operators – SIA and BTEC qualified

Looking for staff or need employment? Please contact our experienced team on:

Tel: 0203 668 5680

Email: parking@unity-recruitment.co.uk

Web: www.unity-recruitment.co.uk

BPA reaches 800 members

The BPA is delighted to have reached its highest-ever membership level. The Energy Saving Trust became its 800th member, with other potential new members in the pipeline.

Andrew Pester, chief executive officer, said: ‘This is a wonderful milestone for our not-for-profit Association. It recognises the importance of our leading activities and our growing and diverse BPA community. It’s clear that our Association is needed now more than ever, and I would like to thank every one of our talented staff team for making this happen, as well as our Board and Council for their amazing support.’

Working with Police Scotland

William Clark, BPA area manager, Scotland, Northern Ireland and North England, is working with Police Scotland to re-engage its architectural liaison officers (ALOs).

In March, Clark ran a continuing professional development (CPD) assessors’ course at the Scottish Police College, on the Safer Parking Scheme. A further course will be held in the next few months and he will have input into all new ALO courses at the college.

Clark said: ‘It is hoped that this will create a larger pool of police officers with the required knowledge to carry out assessments and support the Safer Parking Scheme in Scotland.’

More dates for your diary

As well as Parkex this month, BPA’s busy events season continues with:

■ Retail and Leisure Interest Group meeting: 9 May (virtual)

■ BPA Live Peterborough: 20 June

■ TTF Smarter Parking Group: 28 June (virtual)

■ Parking Technology Interest Group: 11 July (virtual) Go to britishparking.co.uk/Events

National Blue Badge Day of Action

This year’s National Blue Badge Day of Action, organised by the London Borough of Lambeth, will take place on Friday 24 May. It is the third National Day of Action, and, last year, 82 councils across the UK took part (see Parking News, July 2023, pages 32-33 or bit.ly/PNMay24NDA).

‘The National Blue Badge Day of Action is a critical initiative uniting all UK councils in a commitment to rigorously enforce the Blue Badge scheme,’ said Tom Gallagher, parking fraud and highways enforcement manager for the London Borough of Lambeth. ‘It is a day when participating councils intensify enforcement, increase public awareness, and educate communities on the correct use of Blue Badges.

‘This initiative is instrumental in protecting the rights of disabled motorists and ensuring reserved parking spaces are used properly, enhancing accessibility and independence for disabled individuals.

‘Last year’s event was a remarkable success, with hundreds of officers mobilising across the UK to conduct Blue Badge inspections. In an extensive effort, approximately 50,000 vehicles were inspected, leading to the identification of hundreds of fraudulently used or misused Blue Badges. This year, we aim to surpass these achievements by intensifying our efforts, and inspecting an even greater number of vehicles and badges. Our goal is not just to enforce, but also to significantly enhance the efficacy of the Blue Badge scheme, ensuring it benefits those for whom it is intended.’

Sarah Greenslade, BPA content and research manager, said: ‘The participation of local authorities in this event demonstrates a commitment to equality, accessibility and duty of care within our communities. We implore parking teams to work closely with their fraud teams to participate. Together, let’s send a strong message that misuse of Blue Badges will not be tolerated.’

BPA and IPC launch joint single Code of Practice

The BPA and IPC (International Parking Community) have announced a private parking sector single Code of Practice to be used across the entire private parking sector. The new Code will raise standards and deliver greater transparency and consistency for the benefit of motorists.

The new single Code also introduces an Appeals Charter, creating clear and unvarying parameters for motorists to appeal against a parking charge. It also ensures the protection of the most vulnerable in society, with no decrease to the deterrent for abuse of Blue Badge bays or those who choose to park selfishly, putting their own convenience above the needs or rights of others.

Andrew Pester, BPA chief executive said: ‘We are delighted to introduce a single Code of Practice across the private parking sector. This is a crucial milestone as we work closely with government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists. We will continue to push for a positive outcome for all.’

More information will be available at Parkex and in the June issue of Parking News

Staff news

Yasmin Jefferies, BPA business development manager, has started a part-time, six-month secondment with the European Parking Association (EPA). She will be sharing her time equally between the BPA and the EPA.

Sara Fisher, the BPA’s head of operations and business development, said: ‘The BPA is proud to be a founding member of the EPA, and continues to work closely on leading European and international initiatives, including the Alliance for Parking Data Standards. Yasmin will be extending her European engagement activities to help support the EPA’s exciting growth plans. Yasmin’s role at the BPA will remain that of growing corporate main membership. The BPA Parking Tech and EV Connect interest groups will now be managed by Sarah Greenslade (sarah.g@britishparking.co.uk). We wish Yasmin the very best for her time at the EPA.’

The BPA is also pleased to welcome Emily Whitworth as its new marketing manager. She joins us from recruitment specialists JasperRose and will be overseeing the BPA’s marketing and

Emily Whitworth

digital content, to increase membership engagement and raise awareness of all of our schemes and accreditations.

Vice President announced and BPA Council elections

The BPA is delighted to confirm that our Vice President for 2024/25 will be Mike Marrs. Congratulations to Mike, who will make history as the first member to be President on two occasions. The BPA looks forward to supporting Mike on his journey as an ambassador for the Association and its members. Thank you to the three candidates who put themselves forward for the position.

Further opportunities for members are just around the corner, with Council elections taking place in a few weeks’ time. These are important positions, as the BPA Council sits at the heart of its work and influences long-term strategic direction by advising the BPA Board. Interested? The seats available for nomination are:

■ Parking on Private Land Operators x 3

■ Local Authorities x 3

■ Consultants x 1

■ London Regional x 1

■ Higher Education x 1

■ Individual Member x 1

■ Midlands Regional x 1

■ South East Regional x 1

■ Parking Structures x 1

■ Parking Technology x 1

■ Scotland Regional x 1

Where more nominations than seats are received, elections will be held. The BPA looks forward to welcoming new and returning members to our Council of Representatives.

As always, if you have any queries relating to governance, please contact us at elections@britishparking.co.uk

Frontline officer survey

If you work in a frontline role – or manage, supervise or are a team leader for frontline staff – please do respond to BPA’s survey to record and collate all verbal and physical abuse, and assaults, against staff by Monday 13 May. The aim is for this information to give a true picture of the scale of abuse.

Take part in the survey at wkf.ms/3wSOShp

Yasmin Jefferies

Smash and grab

It’ll be drivers who suffer if government takes back parking enforcement – and the money generated from it as well, says Kelvin Reynolds

It’s election time, and don’t we know it! We stand ready to work with any government and local council leaders to find solutions to better manage traffic and parking for everyone’s benefit. We’ve had enough rhetoric about what’s wrong with parking and traffic management, with no recognition of the benefits it provides for everyone.

We know what people’s priorities are: tackling anti-social parking and misuse of Blue Badge parking concessions.

The government’s ‘Plan for Drivers’ being manifested currently is not the solution (with the single exception in delivery of a National Parking Platform that we have been advocating for years). It’s a ‘Plan for Selfish Drivers’ who are content to ignore the rules of parking and traffic management, make life a misery for people and put children’s lives at risk.

Ironically, traffic calming regulations were first introduced by successive Conservative governments in 1990 and 1996 as potential vote winners just ahead of general elections.

Surplus funds

Now that we can see the benefits of these schemes, government wants to restrict their use and punish councils that dare to make our residential areas more liveable and traffic free.

The current call for evidence on restricting the generation of surplus funds from traffic contraventions is one of the most leading ‘surveys’ I’ve seen for a long time. The last one was called ‘Parking reform: tackling unfair practices’, back in 2015. Both have emotive titles, designed to generate emotive responses. Both are designed to underpin the popular political perception that parking enforcement is unfair and overzealous.

services. Any surplus, quite rightly, was to be directed towards providing other benefits for motorists and road users.

Is enforcement unfair, as the government claims, or is its view actually that it is ‘unfair’ that councils keep the money? The truth is that this is a ‘smash and grab’, with government seeking to divert the surpluses to the Treasury.

A fairer deal

One question – ‘Do you consider that current civil traffic enforcement by local authorities is fair?’ – might as well ask: ‘Is the moon made of green cheese?’

This is an attempt to undermine the deal – ironically brokered by a Conservative government – struck between government and local government, and set out in the Road Traffic Act 1991.

Many of us remember when parking enforcement was the jurisdiction of police and traffic wardens. All fines were issued as fixed penalties, which was income to the Treasury.

For a variety of reasons, police priorities were elsewhere. In essence, local government negotiated an arrangement with government to take over the function for streets management and enforcement of the rules. Recognising this all costs money, the deal was that income from enforcement would be retained by councils to provide the resources necessary to deliver the

How does making it more difficult for local authorities to fund things – such as concessionary fare schemes, improving local roads and providing parking in our high streets – help? Without these schemes there would be even more congestion.

About one-third of all councils operate a deficit parking budget, so how about a fairer deal, where government underpins the lossmaking councils for undertaking their network management duty?

If the government is successful in hampering councils’ ability to fully fund their parking and traffic operations, smashing their ability to function and grabbing the money, then law-abiding motorists will pay the price.

Appyway

Helping cities decarbonise, from the kerb up. Faster, more accurate digital traffic order management. Automated, centralised tariff management. Driver-centric parking payments and connected car services. Real-time bay occupancy and insights. EV charge point integrations and data-led rollout.

Buchanan Order Management

The leading Map-based Traffic Order Consultancy that specialises in delivering accurate and comprehensive Traffic Order Reviews and Support work. Please contact us to discuss how we can work with you.

Cammax Limited

sales@appyway.com appyway.com

01635 290790

Enquiries@buchananorders.co.uk www.buchananorders.co.uk

Cammax offer innovative payment systems to today’s ever changing parking market. Providing our partners with tailored pay on foot, pay & display and hybrid parking payment systems. With our intuitive customer-facing applications and data rich back end systems, Cammax offer flexible solutions along with outstanding customer service.

Carflow

Carflow provides car park management services to retailers and landowners throughout the UK, specialising in Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking systems. Our services help our clients to increase car park utilisation and revenue.

CSL

CSL has been providing secure connectivity for critical IoT applications for over 25 years. Their fully managed, end-to-end connectivity innovations utilise technologies such as 4G and are secure, reliable and hassle-free, whilst their expert support teams are here for you 24/7.

DESIGNA

DESIGNA design, manufacture and install fully automatic “Pay-on-foot” car parking systems. DESIGNA provides the answer to your parking needs with more than 16,000 installations worldwide; from simple standalone systems, to large, citywide networks, entire airport complexes, hotels, shopping centres and hospital estates.

Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd

High Court Enforcement as seen on TV’s Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away! Letter cycle recovery service with a collection rate 25% higher than our competitors.

01977 669946

info@cammaxlimited.co.uk www.cammaxlimited.co.uk

Conor Greely 0208 819 7451

sales@carflow.co.uk www.carflow.co.uk

+44 (0) 7909 991 090

Hiran.Ravat@csl-group.com

01932 784040

sales@designauk.com www.designa.com

Pam Robinson 0203 298 0201 pap@dcbltd.com

G24

G24 specialises in providing car park management solutions specifically tailored to suit retailers, retail parks and other corporate and independent organisations throughout the UK.

HUB Parking Technology

HUB Parking Technology develops, manufactures, installs, and provides after-sales support for HUB Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems. The company creates state-of-the-art systems that make parking efficient, profitable and easy to manage.

Caroline Sargeant 0370 0427 215 caroline.sargeant@g24.co.uk www.g24.co.uk

Sarah Cosby sarah.cosby@faac.co.uk

Makers Construction Limited

Leading experts in car parking refurbishment with over 40 years of contracting experience. Offering life care planning, testing and investigation with full turnkey solutions to the parking industry to refurbish, maintain and enhance your parking facility.

Nagels

Nagels is the world’s largest parking ticket manufacturer. We supply pay-onfoot and pay and display tickets, enforcement stationery, RFID and plastic cards, parking signage, cones, barriers and many other products to parking companies in the UK and Ireland.

NMI

NMI develops trusted payment software for mobile, online, and in-store payments. You’ve probably used it without realising it when booking a ticket, paying for parking, or making a charity donation. Its Payment Gateway is used by developers worldwide to add payments to their solutions enabling them to focus on what they do best.

08458 994444 enquiries@makers.biz www.makers.biz

Jim Williamson (+44) 01482 873597 sales@nagels.co.uk www.nagels.com

www.nmi.com hello@nmi.com 0117 930 4455

NSGL

NSGL Parking believe that parking should be simple and stress free. After all it is the most insignificant part of any journey but usually the part that is the most emotive.

Octopass

Octopass is a flexible permit and pass management system with over a decade of experience serving a wide range of sectors. We help you manage permits and passes in a simple, sustainable and transparent way!

03333 201 858

admin@nsglparking.co.uk www.nsglparking.co.uk u u u

octopass.co.uk sales@octopass.co.uk 0330 0220 697

Orbility

Orbility Limited designs, manufactures and maintains automatic barriers, pay on foot systems and ANPR ticketless solutions. We provide payment options that include credit and debit card, contactless, payment by phone, coins, bank notes, bank note recycling and back office solutions for all sectors.

Parking and Secure Documents

PSD – incorporating The Parking Shop – is the market leader for parking related statutory document mailings and sustainable manual enforcement stationery. We also supply line marking and signage solutions and as part of our service we offer on site surveys and reports.

Parking Associates Ltd

Enquiries

Info.uk@orbility.com +44 (0)2392 414 423 www.orbility.com

Integrity Communications Group Westfield Trading Estate Midsomer Norton Bath BA3 4BS 01761 409290 contact@parkingandsecuredocuments.com parkingandsecuredocuments.com

Parking Associates offers an independent perspective and insight, providing unbiased innovative ideas to increase all-round efficiency. The services are available for short or long-term projects.

Parkingeye

As the ANPR market-leader, Parkingeye’s mission is to make life easier for businesses and their customers by giving them the capabilities to park effortlessly in a highly connected world. Managing thousands of sites with a 98% client retention rate, our team deliver results which help our customers thrive.

Parksmart Solutions

An extensive, fully configurable PCN Suite, including web and mobile Attendant, Front of House Kiosk, DVLA Scanning applications. Automated Management Portal supporting Static & Mobile ANPR PCN issuing with IVR, Driver App & Pay By Text or Phone. Location Geo Fencing with Self Set Up.

RTA Associates Ltd

RTA Associates offers a specialist parking solutions consultancy. We also undertake TRO, MTO and car park condition and legality surveys and full GIS digitised mapping of Orders using RTAOrderPro, which is a managed hosted service providing up to date records of your Orders. Our public portal allows you to make, advertise, consult and seal Orders.

Smart Parking

As an award winning and market-leading provider of car park management technology and services our aim is simple, to make life easier for clients and their customers. Specialising in ANPR technology, we deliver end-to-end parking solutions to customers across the UK and beyond. Our insight and reporting tools put real-time parking data at your fingertips.

Kirsty Reeves 07917353218 info@parkingassociates.co.uk www.parkingassociates.co.uk

Parkingeye Ltd 01772 450 542

marketing@parkingeye.co.uk www.parkingeye.co.uk

info@parksmartsolutions.co.uk 0333 332 7930

Peter Lowe plowe@rtaassociates.co.uk 07900 264137 www.rtaassociates.co.uk

0845 230 3081 sales@smartparking.com www.smartparking.com

Swarco Traffic Ltd

Experts in parking systems, electric vehicle charging solutions, signage & safety systems, and traffic control & management. SWARCO solutions improve quality of life by making the travel experience safer, quicker, more convenient and environmentally sound.

Tagmaster UK

TagMaster UK Limited is a leading manufacturer and supplier of traffic monitoring equipment, a wide range of instrumentation and software systems are available ranging from temporary deployable radar devices through to full real-time ITS systems.

Total Parking Solutions

info.uk@swarco.com 01748 824624 www.swarco.com

01438 347555 Sales.uk@tagmaster.com 4, Caxton Place, Caxton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2UG www.uk.tagmaster.com

The strength of Total Parking Solutions Ltd lies within its long and wide-ranging experience in the parking sector. With over 40 years’ combined experience the company has achieved a reputation as one of the leading providers of car parking solutions, throughout the UK.

Twin

The smart choice for any organisation in any parking and EV charging environment. Our contactless payment terminals and our mobile phone app, Twinpay, offer a seamless payment platform with dual functionality to pay for parking or EV charging. Supported by a unique back office system, the Twin range of products is fully OCPP compliant.

WPS UK

WPS focuses on practical innovation and brings together technology to provide our customers with smart but primarily reliable and future-proof Parking Solutions, ready to face the connected world of today and tomorrow.

ZatPark

Market leading parking enforcement, administration and management

software, incorporating an ANPR-enabled street enforcement mobile app. World class features provide complete control of the full life-cycle of parking enforcement data, from issue to recovery action and every step between.

01536 680107 info@totalparking.co.uk www.totalparking.co.uk

0114 3497070

enquiries@twinpay.com www.twinpay.com

+44 84 50 94 15 43 info@wps-uk.com www.wpsparking.com

03333 440834

info@zatpark.com www.zatpark.com