Parking News - February 2024 - Issue 437

The magazine of the British Parking Association

FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE 437

BPA Live 2024 Looking ahead to what’s in store at this month’s events

The public’s view BPA-commissioned research into perceptions of parking

Horizon gazing EVs, AVs and sustainable parking management

An eye to the future The National Parking Platform: is now the time to get on board?

Choice is on the horizon An Open Market is a win-win for everyone

Find out more

www.RingGo.co.uk/open-market

Upfront

Andrew Pester on the BPA’s programme of support for members and its campaigning priorities during 2024

Heart of the matter I hope this message finds you well. events and meetings for our BPA community Our not-for-profit Association is now and strategic partners to come together more active than at any time in its history, to share experience and ideas. Please do with its largest-ever membership base. check out our website for more details This demonstrates the relevance of our and for our latest online member resources, leading activities, which matter most to you, including webinars, fact sheets, FAQs, and the importance of our BPA community. and virtual community groups – see These continue to be challenging times, britishparking.co.uk so it’s opportune that this month sees the Government engagement remains return of BPA Live with the first two of higher than ever as we focus on priority our four one-day, lobbying activities, in-person events including: the happening across implementation of “Government engagement the UK in the the Parking (Code remains higher than ever first half of 2024. of Practice) Act; as we focus on priority Starting in Leeds the government’s lobbying activities” (7 February) and ‘Plan for Drivers’; then visiting Brighton development (29 February), Bristol of the National (13 March) and Peterborough (20 June), each Parking Platform (see pages 14-17 for more event will include tailored forums at which details on this); and plans to digitise traffic our members can come together to share regulation orders. knowledge and best practice.

As always, I would like to thank you Each day will also provide networking for your tremendous support and for opportunities, an exhibition, and a being part of our diverse BPA community. programme designed to inspire and offer Membership support will remain at the heart insights and practical takeaways. of everything we do in 2024.

If you haven’t yet done so, please register for your place today (see pages 30-31 for further details).

BPA chief executive As the year progresses, we will also andrew.p@britishparking.co.uk deliver our wider programme of innovative

Andrew Pester

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Editor’s comment

Future vision Louise Parfitt considers the shape of parking to come

It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s slippery underfoot – thanks to all of you out there making sure we can get around safely. This includes those who have recently been awarded or retained Park Mark accreditations – check out our bumper list on pages 30-31. This list includes those providing safe facilities for lorry drivers, too, and those helping to care for the environment for future generations by offering greener, more sustainable parking and transport initiatives.

Parking that is fit for the future is key to much of what the BPA and its members are

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doing. The National Parking Platform (NPP) will be integral to this, going beyond parking payments to cater for electric vehicle charging, kerbside management, and so much more, including self-driving vehicles (read David Peach’s fun vision of the future on pages 22-23).

The government sees the NPP as important, so much so that it has waived the joining fees for local authorities if they express an interest by 31 March – but we know members have questions about it. We have addressed some of these on pages 14-17, and check out the BPA

Live! 2024 events, where there will be further discussions and support. The first two BPA Live! events take place this month (pages 30-31) – we look forward to seeing you there.

On pages 28-29 you’ll get a preview of the results from the BPA’s latest survey into the public’s perceptions of parking. This crucial research will be used to help shape the direction of the sector.

If there is anything you wish to see featured, or any stories you wish to share, send them to: louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

Contents

Contents

February 2024 Issue 437

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: John Wheaton john.wheaton@cplone.co.uk

News 06 National news 08 Companies’ news 11 Local authority news 30 BPA news

Features 14 Platform for change Louise Parfitt gets answers to some frequently asked questions about the National Parking Platform, including why now, what’s the future, and what will it cost?

18 Healthy choices Managing staff parking sustainably in a healthcare setting

20 Charging potential How to ensure investment in EV charging makes financial sense for your car park

22 Time-off travellers David Peach’s award-winning story about our transport future

24 The mobility jigsaw PayByPhone’s Jonny Combe chats to Louise Parfitt about the future for parking apps

T: 01223 378042

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

Regulars 26 New members Meet those who joined at the end of 2023

28 Facts and figures Findings from the BPA’s 2023 public parking perceptions survey are revealed

33 P ark life Kelvin Reynolds on learning to love data

Classified 35 Specialist services directory 36 Marketplace

adam.cushen@stephensandgeorge.co.uk T: 01685 388888

Reprints and PDFs of articles Contact John Wheaton on 01223 378042

Photography and illustration: All images: iStock.com Page 22: 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 Parking Association or Parking News, (the editor, the editorial panel or the board).

Contributions and adverts are published in good faith and no responsibility or liability will be accepted, either for their contents or accuracy, or for any action taken as a result of anything contained in Parking News. ©British Parking Association 2024 ISSN 1470-8361

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National news

North Wales transport plan The North Wales Transport Commission has published its final report on building a sustainable transport network for North Wales. It says a public transport network that can provide for the journeys people currently make by car will require easy interchange between modes of travel, integrated timetables and ticketing, and competitive pricing.

Active travel schemes will need comprehensive and safe networks for walking and cycling. EVs will have a role to play, but the report outlines opportunities for improving alternatives to car use in rural areas, including more flexible bus services, e-cycles and car clubs. See bit.ly/PNFeb23NWTC ■ The date by which local authorities in Wales must submit their Active Travel Network Maps has been extended to 1 December 2026. See bit.ly/Feb23ATN

Digital TROs for AVs The government has issued a policy paper on automated vehicles (AVs) that includes details of proposals to regulate the provision of digital traffic regulation orders (TROs). Authorities in England would be required to send the TROs they make in a common digital format to a central publication platform. The main use of the data will be for AVs, but it could be used for other electronic equipment that facilitates the driving of vehicles on a road, eg sat navs and parking apps. See bit.ly/PNFeb23AVB

Beware of parking scams Motorists are being warned not to use search engines to pay for their parking online. Consumer organisation Which? says online adverts that impersonate reputable parking payment companies are tricking drivers into paying for unwanted subscriptions. Motorists should download parking payment apps from the official Apple or Google Play stores, Which? advises.

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NHS gets help to buy more sustainably Corporate services provider NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched a sustainable transport and infrastructure procurement framework to help the NHS achieve its 2040 carbon net-zero emissions goal. The framework gives the NHS a simple and quick way to find and appoint fully vetted providers.

The NHS accounts for four per cent of the UK’s carbon footprint – emissions from travel and transport account for 14 per cent of this.

Among the interventions the NHS is putting in place to meet its sustainable transport objectives are: ■ transitioning to zero-emission fleets ■ encouraging employees towards active forms of travel ■ looking to low-carbon logistics and transportation of goods using pedal power.

By moving to more sustainable forms of travel, and electrification of personal vehicles, the NHS wants to reduce staff travel emissions by 50 per cent by 2033.

From 2030, all new ambulances will be zero-emission vehicles.

To get to this point, however, NHS trusts must have the necessary infrastructure in place. Services the NHS can access via the new procurement framework include: ■ the design and build of car parks incorporating solar panels ■ sustainable transport consultancy services ■ bike hire and repair ■ low-carbon logistics ■ electric vehicle charging solutions.

For more information about the framework, contact the NHS SBS team at sbs.hello@nhs.net

Casualty data from e-scooter trials The independent Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) wants casualty data to be collected more rigorously during e-scooter trials – which have been extended to May 2026 – to increase understanding of the danger posed by their use.

A study funded by the Road Safety Trust found that fewer than 10 per cent of casualties presenting to emergency departments with any injury from a collision involving an e-scooter were recorded in the official data.

Margaret Winchcomb, PACTS deputy executive director, said: ‘It is essential that the methods for measuring their hazard to riders and danger to other road users are consistent and robust so that safety is adequately understood.’

For more information, see bit.ly/PNFeb23ESC and pacts.org.uk ■ Meanwhile IAM RoadSmart director of policy standards Nicholas Lyes wants the government to urgently bring forward legislation on private e-scooters, which he says must include speed limiters and a minimum level of competency for riders. In the year ending June 2023, around half (556) of the e-scooter user casualties recorded were estimated to have occurred outside trial areas.

National news

Hackers steal payment-app data EasyPark Group, owner of cashless payment apps ParkMobile and RingGo, has reported itself to information regulators in the EU and the UK after hackers stole customer data.

Names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and parts of credit card numbers were taken in the cyberattack, but the company said parking data had not been compromised. Location data is particularly sensitive because it could be used to track people.

While EasyPark Group did not reveal exactly how many users had

Priced out of Paris

been affected, a spokesperson said the majority were in Europe, on the EasyPark brand.

The ParkMobile brand – which has 50 million users in the US – was not affected, but the company revealed 950 RingGo users in the UK were involved because some of its services are integrated with the EasyPark technology. The RingGo platform was not breached, however.

EasyPark Group said it was not yet aware of data being used or published, and had not received a ransom demand.

Public help out in safe-parking pilot An initiative that allows residents to report illegal parking incidents online has been piloted in Crewe.

Under Operation Park Safe, people were able to report parking issues directly to the police website throughout January by uploading videos and photographs of offending vehicles. A traffic officer then assessed and triaged these, and dealt with dangerous offences.

Minor traffic obstructions or community-impact issues were allocated to local police community support officers or beat officers to deal with.

John Dwyer, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, said: ‘Road safety is one of the top issues raised with me and it’s a priority in the Police and Crime Plan – that’s why it’s important for the police and public to work together to tackle things such as illegal parking.’

If the pilot proves successful, officers will look to roll it out across the force area.

Parking charges for large sports utility vehicles (SUVs) could be tripled in Paris, in a bid to limit vehicle emissions and air pollution.

A referendum is due to be held on 4 February.

If Paris votes yes, the cost of on-street parking for an SUV or 4x4 car will rise to €18 (£15) an hour in the centre of the French capital and €12 an hour elsewhere. The charges will not apply to Paris residents.

Rapid-charger target missed A government target for every motorway service station in England to have at least six rapid or ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers by the end of 2023 has been missed, says the RAC. Data suggests only four in 10 now meet this criteria. Rapid chargepoints can add about 100 miles of range in around 35 minutes. They are seen as important for giving drivers confidence that they will have enough charge for a long trip.

Driving down energy bills New two-way charging technologies could soon allow people to save money on their energy bills by using electricity stored in their electric vehicle’s battery to power home appliances, such as fridges and washing machines. Four projects in Chelmsford, Leatherhead, Gateshead and London are currently receiving a share of £4.8m of government funding to help test and implement the technology. Businesses could also benefit by storing electricity in their fleets of EVs and using it to power operations.

Pilot scheme is powering up motorway services A £70m pilot scheme has been launched to power up motorway service areas in England and pave the way for ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper, speaking on COP28 Transport Day in Dubai in December, laid out plans for up to 10 trial sites with boosted electrical network capacity, to ensure capacity is futureproofed for at least 10 years.

The pilot is being delivered by National Highways and enabled by the government’s rapid charging fund (RCF). This will cover a portion of the costs of upgrading the electricity grid at motorway service areas that are successful in bidding for finance.

Technology and decarbonisation minister Anthony Browne said: ‘Motorway service areas are strategically important as regularly spaced stopping points along the motorway. Investment here addresses the need for a highly visible and dependable longer-distance charging network to support drivers and accelerate future EV purchases.’

A rapid charging fund consultation is also under way. It is seeking views from a range of stakeholders – including chargepoint operators, motorway service area operators and electricity suppliers – on where chargers are needed most and how best to design the RCF. The consultation closes on 14 February: see gov.uk/government/ consultations/rapid-charging-fund-scheme-design 7

Companies’ news

Just the ticket!

The Transport Planning Society has released a new report called Just the Ticket!, outlining 18 parking policy recommendations to encourage behaviour change towards lower-carbon travel.

The report provides an analysis of various parking policy measures to reduce overall car dependency.

Recommendations include: ■ increased use of charges and taxes for workplace parking ■ enabling employers to provide tax-free incentives for non-car commuting to the workplace ■ reducing parking provision in residential areas to an agreed timeline, as part of a long-term process of reducing car dependency ■ nudging vehicle choice through differential parking charges for more polluting vehicles ■ moving away from parking charges based simply on duration of stay to one based on access.

Read more at tps.org.uk

Network Rail, APCOA and Compleo EV rollout After the successful launch of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints at Chippenham station, Network Rail and APCOA have rolled out a further 50 chargepoints at Droitwich, Llandudno and Chislehurst stations, bringing the total to nearly 600 units across Network Rail’s parking estate.

In close partnership with Network Rail, APCOA oversaw the supply of Compleo EV chargepoints, installation

by AmcoGiffen, and the seamless linking of customer payment options via APCOA Connect.

Investment for Horizon Horizon Parking Group is to receive a significant funding package from Trimountain Partners. The investment will support and accelerate Horizon Parking’s ambitious growth plans.

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Intelli-Park publishes Parking Matters report A decade on from its first data-driven parking industry report (under its original UKPC banner), Intelli-Park has launched a new Parking Matters report, in partnership with Opinium. Key findings indicate that cost and security are the main priorities for drivers when seeking a place to park, and more than two in five motorists (42 per cent) are spending less than £5 on parking a month in 2023 compared with 46 per cent in 2013.

Car park security was said to be an important factor by 90 per cent of motorists, with three-quarters (76 per cent) saying they would be more likely to choose a car park if it was Park Mark-accredited. Some car parks could benefit from improvements, however, as only one in four drivers stated that they were ‘very satisfied’ with the last car park they used.

Other priorities when choosing a car park include lighting (63 per cent), security (60 per cent) and cleanliness (54 per cent).

Additional areas of the report focused on proposed investment in car parks to meet the needs of users. One in five car park owners plans to increase investment over the next year, with the focus being on sustainable travel planning (79 per cent), last-mile delivery (75 per cent), tech and data integration (71 per cent), and autonomous vehicles (39 per cent).

Stuart Harrison, chief strategy officer at Intelli-Park and BPA President, said: ‘Our report is a clear indication of how UK car parking continues to evolve, revealing not just how consumers use car parks, but how car park owners view and use the spaces too.

What we have before us now is an extremely valuable real-life barometer of 21st-century parking behaviour, and views that can be used to make informed decisions about future car park design and usage.’

In addition to understanding current attitudes, the report seeks to identify evolving parking expectations and needs, with car park owners recognised as playing a key role in delivering this future vision.

For a copy of the report, visit intelli-park.com/carparks-parking-matters-2023

Companies’ news

Conduent to sell businesses to Modaxo Conduent Incorporated, a global technology-led business solutions and services company, is selling its kerbside management and public safety solutions businesses to Modaxo, a division of Constellation Software.

Modaxo is a global portfolio company focused on advancing people transportation solutions.

The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to

will be used principally to reduce debt.

We will continue to be open-minded regarding the use of capital associated with future portfolio rationalisation efforts. We are committed to ensuring a seamless transition for our associates and clients while continuing to drive innovation in our road-usage charging and transit businesses, to enable streamlined, high-volume mobility services.’

customary conditions and regulatory approvals being met.

‘This divestiture demonstrates continued progress in streamlining our portfolio to drive increased focus on our core capabilities and enable synergistic growth to create shareholder and client value,’ said Cliff Skelton, Conduent president and CEO. ‘The proceeds from this transaction

The two businesses, which support approximately 130 government clients across the globe, operate largely independently from the rest of Conduent’s transportation portfolio.

Kerbside management provides parking enforcement systems and public safety provides automated photo enforcement processing, for state and local municipalities.

New name and strategy development for APCOA APCOA Parking’s change of name to APCOA, which took effect on 14 December 2023, is accompanied by further development of the company’s strategy. It will deliver services across four distinct business lines: parking, charging, technology, and urban solutions.

Parking continues to form the foundation of the business, which has been established for more than 50 years.

Charging focuses on investment in, and operation of, infrastructure for electric vehicles, while technology encompasses digital platforms for new products and interfaces for the integration of third-party companies and their services.

APCOA’s urban solutions business line focuses on the transformation of car parks into urban hubs. With these hubs, APCOA opens up car parks for multifunctional use, providing physical and digital infrastructure for the implementation of smart cities.

Philippe Op de Beeck, APCOA CEO, said: ‘The combination of our four business lines will ensure that we maximise the use of our parking infrastructure and the urban space it occupies – in the interests of the owners of the respective parking spaces, the users of our services, and urban society in general.’

■ APCOA is delighted to have been awarded the EV Charging Award and the Smart Parking Award at the recent City Transport and Traffic Innovation (CiTTi) Awards. Now in their second year, the CiTTi awards seek to recognise innovative projects in active travel, congestion reduction, air quality improvement, EV infrastructure and charging, last-mile delivery, mobility, transport planning, fleet management, and road-user charging.

Paythru charging solution EV payment specialist Paythru has launched Paythru Contactless, which allows multiple chargers to be connected to a contactless payment terminal via the Paythru cloud.

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 mandate that all public chargepoints above 8kW must enable users to pay by contactless.

The first application of Paythru Contactless is a suite of e-mobility kiosks developed with Bright.Green. The kiosks are similar to parking payment terminals: users park their car, walk to the kiosk, select their charger, and start the charge. This solves an immediate problem for chargepoints without contactless readers: instead of expensive retrofitting of contactless readers, they can connect to the Paythru cloud using standard EV charging communication protocols and offer contactless payments at the kiosk.

Blink Charging UK’s vehicle-to-grid charger Blink Charging UK has launched its EQ 200 EV charger, with smart features that include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ethernet, and 2G and 4G connectivity.

This allows it to interact with a full range of load-balancing and intelligent energy management systems, enabling vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-everything capabilities as new systems emerge.

The EQ 200 charger can draw on the energy stored in an EV’s battery to power other devices in the office or home, charge other EVs, or feed electricity back into the grid.

The charger’s compact design makes it suitable for the workplace and parking operators, as well as residential users.

LCP and Pogo partnership LCP, a national commercial property and investment company, has partnered with Pogo to install 329 ultra-rapid charging units (each with two connectors) at 89 retail developments in England, Scotland and Wales.

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Companies’ news

JustPark and Creative partner up

Yunex Traffic to conduct MTE in Manchester Yunex Traffic has been awarded a contract with Manchester City Council to supply and maintain an ANPR civil enforcement camera solution to detect and enforce moving traffic contraventions. The contract is for three years, with an option to extend for a further two years.

The contract also involves the first installation of Yunex Traffic’s new Review Client service management software solution. This provides endusers and operators with an intuitive platform for reviewing and managing potential contravention data captured by on-street cameras.

■ Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has renewed Yunex Traffic’s traffic signal maintenance contract for up to a further five years.

Having held the contract for 25 years, Yunex Traffic will continue to be responsible for maintaining all the permanent traffic signal and ITS (intelligent traffic systems equipment), and installing new infrastructure as required.

Michael Brient joins ZZPS ZZPS, a leading provider of outsourced services to the private parking industry, has appointed Michael Brient as its chief solutions officer (CSO). He will be responsible for the creation and delivery of innovative services, new technologies and client relationships that drive growth and value for the company and its customers.

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JustPark, one of the UK’s favourite parking apps, and Creative Car Park, a leading provider of car park management solutions, have entered into a UK-wide partnership that will enable both brands to deliver an enhanced parking experience to their customers.

Creative Car Park has 1,750 sites across the country that can be added to JustPark’s network, making its clients’ spaces available to reserve to more than 13 million drivers.

The partnership will expand JustPark’s supply significantly and enhance driver choice. Creative Car Park will benefit from an improved and deeper understanding of its client base through the data and insights that JustPark offers on driver habits and behaviours, leading to opportunities for enhanced customer service.

Anthony Eskinazi, JustPark founder and CEO, said: ‘I am delighted to announce this collaboration with Creative, which not only expands our reach, but also strengthens our position as the most helpful app on the market. This new partnership will offer drivers even more choice and convenience.’

Octopass and Mobilityways join forces Permit management system Octopass has announced a strategic partnership with Mobilityways, a leading provider of employer commute emissions solutions.

From 1 February, they will introduce a sustainability-first, innovative and userfriendly car park management solution to streamline parking permit allocation.

Employers implementing the new car park management solution will be able to configure a seamless workflow between permit application and issuance, car-share validation and

parking enforcement. Organisations will be able to provide all employees who wish to apply for a permit with their own personal travel plan. This will determine the availability of sustainable commuting options, taking into consideration factors such as home address, personal circumstances and shift patterns.

Viable active travel, public transport and/or car-sharing options will be explored, creating a tailored commuting experience for each staff member.

Paul Marjoram, CEO of Mobile Worker Plus (creators of Octopass), said: ‘The integration with Mobilityways’ tools creates a powerful solution for any organisation wishing to decarbonise staff commuting, while streamlining permit management and maximising car park efficiency.’

Julie Furnell, Mobilityways managing director, said: ‘Apart from alleviating the shortage of car parking spaces and the potential costs involved in issuing more permits than organisations need, large companies are looking hard at ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

‘Decarbonising the employee commute should now form part of any company’s Scope 3 emissionsreduction efforts.’

Local authority news

Haringey launches new parking permit platform An upgraded parking permit platform has been launched in Haringey, with an improved design that makes it easier to navigate and more accessible for residents. The platform is much smoother, with fewer clicks needed to resolve permit needs.

Development has taken longer than expected, but the council worked hard with the software developer and residents who tested the account to make sure the upgraded platform launched without problems.

Cllr Seema Chandwani, cabinet member for resident services and tackling inequality, said: ‘I am delighted that we have upgraded our online parking permit platform for residents that will make their lives easier when renewing or buying new parking permits. We have created “how to” videos, and our customer services team is ready to help make sure the introduction of this upgrade is as smooth as possible.’

No congestion charge for Peterborough Mohammed Farooq, leader of Peterborough City Council, has said there will be no ultra low emission zone or congestion charge under his leadership.

Commenting on his support for the combined authority’s updated Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), he said: ‘We have huge aspirations for growth in Peterborough [including] an improved transport system, which offers better opportunities around public transport, walking and cycling, while not penalising those who choose to use their car.

‘There has been commentary in recent months about the updated LTCP opening the door to ultra low emission zones or other schemes that penalise motorists. I can confirm there are no plans to bring forward such schemes.’

Scottish Councils begin pavement parking ban enforcement National regulations giving Scottish councils the power to enforce new parking rules came into effect on 11 December 2023. Under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, all parking on pavements and footways will be prohibited, with the exception of specific areas identified by local authorities that meet certain requirements – for example, to ensure safe access for emergency vehicles.

Drivers could face fines of £100 (reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days).

Enforcement was due to begin in Edinburgh on Monday 29 January. After an assessment of more than 5,000 roads in Edinburgh, officers have identified a small number of streets where there is significant pavement parking and have written to these properties to help them prepare for the measures.

Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: ‘I am proud that Edinburgh is leading the way on enforcing the ban, and that all political parties here agree that no street should be exempt. We’ll continue to monitor streets to make sure the impacts on the wider network are minimal.’

Other local authorities, including Dundee, Aberdeenshire, Highlands, and Argyll and Bute, are issuing warning notices before they start issuing fines.

John Greenwell, executive member for roads development and maintenance, Scottish Borders Council, said: ‘Although the new legislation has now been enacted, Scottish Borders Council, like most other Scottish local authorities, still has some work to undertake in identifying locations where an exemption might be justified.

That being the case, the intention will be to focus on educating drivers across the region, prior to any enforcement action being undertaken.’

Chair of the Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee Ken Gowans is also highlighting the dangers that such parking poses to pavement users. He said: ‘Many people face daily difficulties with pavement parking, especially those with visual impairments or limited mobility. Our parking enforcement team have provided details on our website, and I urge all drivers to make themselves familiar with the new regulations.’

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Local authority news

The future of parking in Brighton and Hove A raft of proposals for the short-, medium- and long-term future of parking in Brighton and Hove were discussed at a Transport and Sustainability committee meeting in December. Councillors voted to approve measures to improve road safety, implement the first elements of a wider parking review and expand the city’s cycling infrastructure.

Councillors also voted to approve a wider review of parking in the city, with the help of expert consultants. This is to establish a simpler, fairer, cleaner, accessible and digitally inclusive parking system that benefits the whole city and improves the environment.

The results will be reported back to the committee in the spring.

Middlesbrough and Bexley charge ahead Middlesbrough Council and Bexley Borough Council have appointed ubitricity to install and maintain electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.

In Bexley, ubitricity will install and manage a network of 100 onstreet chargers, which will include a combination of its innovative bollard and lamppost chargers.

In Middlesbrough, there will be up to 160 chargepoints in 90 locations across the town. The deployment, the first of its kind in the northeast of England delivering public EV charging at scale, is part of a 15-year contract between the council and ubitricity.

Kirklees parking review Kirklees Council has held a review of parking charges across all of its offstreet car parks and on-street parking bays. In November, members approved proposals to increase parking tariffs by inflation, retrospectively to 2009.

At the end of the consultation period, all comments will be considered before any changes are implemented.

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CPE powers for South Cambridgeshire New civil parking enforcement (CPE) powers in South Cambridgeshire came into effect on 19 December 2023.

Last year, an application was submitted to the Department for Transport to enable council civil enforcement officers (CEOs) to issue penalty charge notices for the majority of on-street offences, such as parking on double or single yellow lines.

Previously, only the police could do this.

Highways officers have worked closely with South Cambridgeshire District Council to develop the scheme.

Benefits are expected to include increased compliance with parking restrictions, which, in turn, will improve traffic flow, road safety, and lead to a reduction in obstructive and dangerous parking. It will also support economic growth in the district.

Warning notices were issued to people who continued to park where there are restrictions throughout January. PCNs will be issued from 1 February.

Elisa Meschini, chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership executive board, said: ‘We are really pleased that City Deal funding has been able to deliver CPE in South Cambridgeshire, which should make a positive impact on Cambridgeshire County Council’s ability to enforce onstreet parking offences.

‘This will make it much more likely that people who park incorrectly will be sanctioned. This should help keep traffic moving freely and help support safer roads for everyone.’

The initial costs to get CPE under way in South Cambridgeshire will be covered by the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

New EV chargers planned for London Places for London – Transport for London’s (TfL’s) property company – has begun searching for a single joint venture (JV) partner to help it bring forward new electric vehicle (EV) ultra-rapid charging hubs across its estate. The JV partnership aims to deliver new off-street charging hubs that can simultaneously charge multiple vehicles.

Five locations have been identified as initial seed sites, with the potential to increase the number of sites over time. Each site will deliver a minimum of six publicly accessible ultra-rapid charging bays, including at least one bay for those with accessibility needs.

As part of its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, TfL’s modelling predicts that, if current demand continues, London will need around 4,000 rapid chargepoints by 2030.

To help achieve this number, TfL is looking at how to bring more of its own land into use for EV charging bays, and is working with other members of the Greater London Authority and borough councils to find further sites across London.

■ TfL has published new data from its annual ‘Travel in London’ report that shows there were continued increases in the levels of walking and cycling in 2023.

Meanwhile, Claire Mann, managing director of South Western Railway, has been appointed as TfL’s chief operating officer. Mann will join TfL at the end of March.

Local authority news

Manchester and Portsmouth review clean air zones Greater Manchester (GM) can bring air quality within legal limits without the need for – and faster than – a charging clean air zone (CAZ), new modelling has shown.

Building on the transformational Bee Network, and using clean air funding already awarded by government, Greater Manchester’s proposal includes a £51.2m investment in zero-emission electric buses for the Bee Network, £30.5m to fund grants for cleaner taxis, and £5m for measures to manage traffic flow on some roads in the centre of Manchester and Salford.

Greater Manchester’s 10 local authorities are legally directed by government to bring nitrogen dioxide within legal limits as soon as possible, and by 2026 at the latest.

In December, they submitted evidence to government in support of their preferred investment-led, non-charging plan, benchmarked against a charging CAZ in the centre of Manchester and Salford. Modelling shows this would bring air quality within legal limits for nitrogen dioxide on local roads in 2025.

Modelling of a charging CAZ in the centre of Manchester and Salford shows it would not achieve compliance by 2026.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: ‘Cleaning up the air that people breathe is a priority for Greater Manchester. By accelerating investment in the Bee Network to create a London-style integrated public transport network, and upgrading GM-licensed taxis, we can improve air quality faster than if we introduced a CAZ, and without causing hardship to our residents or businesses.’

■ As Portsmouth marked the two-year anniversary of its CAZ late last year, the council urged the government for more investment to ensure cleaner air for Portsmouth residents. While 94 per cent of monitored areas comply with air quality standards, data reveals persistent challenges in specific locations.

Gerald Vernon-Jackson, cabinet member for transport, said: ‘For the mandated CAZ to work, the government needs to significantly invest in transforming the way people can travel in Portsmouth – in the same way they have done in London – so that it is easier to choose a cleaner journey and for businesses to operate in a more sustainable way.’

Hounslow gets new parking provider Hounslow Council has successfully negotiated a new parking enforcement contract with NSL that started on 1 December 2023.

In September, the previous service provider, Serco, notified the council of its intention to terminate its contract with the authority. The council worked quickly, putting in place a procedure to swiftly find a provider to continue the delivery of the parking enforcement service.

This has allowed the council to replace Serco with NSL under a negotiated agreement, to avoid any disruption to services. Once the current contract period expires in December 2025, however, the council will consider all available options and providers to determine the best way forward for the service.

Salman Shaheen, cabinet member for recreation, public spaces and parking, said: ‘I am pleased that we have been able to move swiftly on securing a new provider and look forward to working with NSL over the next two years. We always put our residents first and wanted to ensure there was no disruption to services while getting on board a new provider to deliver this very important service.’

Parking consultations on councils’ proposals Members of the public have been commenting on a raft of proposed changes to parking charges and arrangements in Tonbridge and Malling. One of the key elements of the consultation is the introduction of charges in three car parks and two on-street areas that are currently free, bringing them in line with the rest of the borough. Other changes include an across-the-board increase to parking permit fees and hourly charges, which were last raised two years ago.

In Cornwall, residents were asked for their views on proposals to make parking more affordable for those who need to regularly park in a council car park. The consultation on plans to cut the cost of the council’s season parking ticket by 50 per cent for residents also asked for views on a proposal to introduce a trial for overnight motorhome parking in Bude.

In Devon, residents have been responding to consultations to convert existing limited waiting bays to pay and display bays in eight communities.

Residents living in West Bridgford have also been having their say on a review into on-street parking. It follows an independent study of on-street parking in the town, commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council.

EV chargers for residents in Stockport and Ealing Stockport residents will receive their first EV charging hub as part of an ongoing £15m deal to revolutionise electric transport infrastructure in the borough.

The new hub, located near the Romiley Precinct shopping centre, is the first of 20 installations and will be equipped with four charging bays.

Meanwhile, Ealing Council has announced the installation of further EV chargepoints. This latest batch will be distributed in 44 sites across the borough, adding another 166 sockets for residents.

13

National Parking Platform

‘Change isn’t coming – it’s here’

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National Parking Platform Noise around the National Parking Platform has been growing for some time, but has now reached a level that is impossible to ignore. With incentives for local authorities to sign up before Easter 2024, and service providers queuing up to join, Louise Parfitt puts some frequently asked questions to those in the know ast autumn, the government published its ‘Plan for Drivers’.1 It could seem, in part, an effort to garner popularity ahead of a looming general election (discuss), but to those in the parking sector there was one element that they have been hearing about for some time – the National Parking Platform (NPP).

The NPP has been the subject of key sessions at BPA parking events over the past couple of years. For many, however, it remained something that was coming, but just not yet. Well, that time has arrived, with the government aiming to have a full NPP platform operational by autumn. It has waived the joining-up fee (currently £10,000) for local authorities if they express an interest in the platform by 31 March. But what does this ‘expression of interest’ actually commit a council to?

I put this question to Michael Dnes, head of the NPP and future roads technology at the Department for Transport (DfT).

‘It essentially means you’ll join the mailing list, so we know who we need to get in touch with,’ he says. ‘There is no obligation to join off the back of that – and no pressure to have anything in place by a given time.’

What about ongoing costs for councils? ‘The financial model of the NPP is based around the transaction fees paid by users,’ Dnes explains.

‘As a local authority coming onto the system for your cashless parking, there isn’t a bill to pay – it all gets worked out before it reaches your balance sheet.’

L

Harnessing potential The DfT has set up three categories of membership for the NPP (see box, overleaf), built around the recognition that local authorities are in different positions when it comes to contracts.

‘Some local authorities are raring to go: early access membership is designed for them

because we can get them up and running as quickly as possible using their existing systems – similar to what we have done with the pilot projects,’ says Dnes.

‘Full membership is for those that wish to sign up to the NPP when we have complete national platform functionality later this year.

The last level is associate membership for councils locked into a contract, so they can still access some of the benefits, such as getting their data into the system, and can be ready to switch on the full system when they are ready.’

At the time of writing (early January 2024), 162 local authorities out of the UK-wide 382 have expressed an interest in joining the NPP. So far there are five service providers (mobile payment app providers) signed up to the NPP – and a long queue keen to join. There are also back-office providers onboard. (Everyone I spoke to is keen to emphasise that the NPP is not an app; it’s a digital platform that joins up motorists, parking operators and service providers, allowing drivers to pay with the app they choose, and enabling data to be shared in real time about parking availability, tariffs etc.)

Parking Matters, the organisation that has been supporting the DfT with the NPP, has also been approached by a private parking operator keen to harness the potential of the platform.

‘We have reached a tipping point with regard to the level of interest,’ says Parking Matters’ managing director Nigel Williams. ‘There is now momentum behind it. It will be the way parking payments are managed in the future and the classic mono-supplier contract is just not going to be sustainable. In five years’ time, people are going to look back and say, “why didn’t we do this [sign up to the NPP] earlier?”’

Joined-up market At the moment, the focus of the NPP is on enabling mobile parking payments in a much more customer-friendly way, rather than via the plethora of apps that drivers often need to pay for parking at different locations. ‘The

existing system increased the popularity of cashless payments, but it was never designed to work together,’ Dnes says. ‘There was a realisation that, with the NPP, we could ease a lot of drivers’ frustration with mobile payment. There is added value for local authorities and service providers, too, because they will not have to go through protracted procurement processes.’

Dnes believes joining up the market in this way opens up benefits for service providers.

‘The NPP allows them to be quite different companies in how they work. For example, they could develop an app that allows disabled people to park more easily up and down the country, which is the kind of thing that is only possible when you join the market together.’

NPP – a brief history he NPP was the brainwave of Parking T Matters, which helped develop the BPA-, EPA- and IPMI-owned Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS). ‘We took inspiration from the Dutch parking payment platform and our work on APDS. It became obvious that something similar was viable in the UK, which could be truly interoperable with other sectors and countries,’ explains Parking Matters’ director Keith Williams.

‘The DfT seed funded the development of the NPP, and we ran the first pilot in Manchester in 2019. This was vital because it allowed us to learn in practice what it means to digitise local authority parking locations.’

A second wave of pilot schemes ran last year, including in Cheshire West and Chester, as reported in Parking News.2 Ultimately, the DfT is responsible for the NPP. Parking Matters continues to be heavily involved. PA Consulting is working on software development and there is an expanded team at the DfT taking on the core of the work in onboarding, and ensuring the continued development of NPP to offer future services.

15

National Parking Platform

“How do I get an autonomous vehicle to find a parking space and operate safely in a city such as Coventry? The NPP will hold a lot of that information”

Peter O’Driscoll, managing director at RingGo, says the NPP encourages healthy competition between providers, which, in turn, incentivises innovation within parking. ‘As the NPP becomes available nationwide, it will allow us to bring in more services for other markets, such as fleet operators.’

Are the service providers worried that they may see usage of their app fall with the opening up of the market? ‘In areas where we are the incumbent prior to the switch to the NPP, usage may fall slightly, but this will

be offset by the areas where we previously had no presence,’ says O’Driscoll. ‘We also run marketing awareness campaigns aimed at new and existing users, to drive service uptake.’

‘Pricing and promotions are certainly ways to incentivise users to choose your brand over another, but we trust that there is an element of brand loyalty, too,’ says Adam Dolphin, PayByPhone’s UK managing director. ‘It will be interesting to see if the UK’s experience with a multi-vendor approach mirrors that of other countries, where the multi-vendor model

Membership for parking operators Early access membership: designed for parking providers wanting immediate access, especially if an existing contract is ending. Early access allows immediate unlocking of NPP services (including multi-vendor payment) through existing technical systems and contractual structures. This system converts automatically to full membership once it is available.

Full membership: intended for parking providers wanting to offer multi-vendor cashless parking through the NPP from late-2024 onwards. This provides all NPP cashless parking services.

Associate membership: designed for parking providers locked into an exclusive contract but eager to leverage some NPP features. Associate members share parking data through the NPP, receive standard national location codes for parking sites, and are prepared for full membership without further technical setup when the time comes.

16

has been operational for some time. [In some markets] the introduction of multiple cashless parking providers doesn’t significantly increase the uptake of cashless parking – those who wanted to use an app to pay for parking already were – and the original, incumbent provider tends to keep the majority of the transactions.

The UK has a competitive marketplace, though, so it may be different here.’

Michael Lester is parking services manager at Cheshire West and Chester Council. It is seeing a gradual increase, month by month, in the use of apps to pay for parking since joining the NPP (although the council did not offer a pay-by-phone option before). There has also been another advantage. ‘Fewer people are contacting us with regard to machine payment issues because they have an additional option.

Once they have used it and realise they can top up remotely etc, you start to get the buyin. However, we did have to reassure people that we were not going to reduce the amount of pay and display machines as a result of bringing in mobile payments.’

Future focus Sunil Budhdeo is transport innovation manager at Coventry City Council. He is working with the DfT and Innovate UK on various projects

National Parking Platform

automate some of the onboarding systems to make the process as smooth and effortless as possible. We’re doing all of the onboarding for the early access and we will be involved in migrating that to the full platform as well.’

Next steps

based on the future of transport, including autonomous vehicles. He says the NPP is a crucial part of the puzzle that will enable councils to deliver the information that such services will rely on in the future.

‘How do I get an autonomous vehicle to find a parking space and operate safely in a city such as Coventry? The NPP will hold a lot of that information,’ says Budhdeo. ‘It is a cloudagnostic platform that receives live data from all sorts of sources and will allow us to work with a lot of suppliers.’

Coventry City Council signed up to the NPP last year. It took a staged approach to implementing the platform so that any teething problems could be ironed out at each stage. ‘The incremental approach allows you to understand what the product is capable of doing,’ Budhdeo says. ‘But for us, it was really seamless from the word go.’

Cheshire West and Chester took a similar approach. ‘We phased it in at an initial couple of sites as a bit of a test,’ says Lester. ‘When we rolled it out, we put up a lot of signage.

Because there are five different suppliers, we had to make sure that the order was different, so one supplier was not always at the top.’

With the option for more service providers to join the NPP, there is the danger that signage

could become overcomplicated, with a huge number of logos on display. The DfT is looking to develop a single logo that will be easily recognisable so people know they can use any app that carries that logo.

‘It will be a fundamental change to the way the NPP is promoted,’ says Nigel Williams. ‘It will work in a similar way to the contactless logo: people see that and know they can pay by tapping their card. Within the parking environment, they will see a logo and know they can pay via any app that is signed up.’

Joining up Ken Prior was parking manager at Cheshire West and Chester when it joined the NPP. He is going through the joining process again now as parking manager at Liverpool City Council, and says lessons from the pilots have been used to improve the NPP onboarding process.

‘Parking Matters has done as much as it can to help. The onboarding process was good before [when Cheshire West and Chester got involved], but it is even better now,’ Prior says.

Emily Williams, Parking Matters associate, says the lessons learned from early projects – such as Manchester and Cheshire West and Chester – continue to be used to improve and evolve the NPP. ‘We are now starting to

Budhdeo has been working with the Parking Matters team to look at integrating EV charging payments into the platform – the next step for the NPP. Nigel Williams says: ‘It’s going to get more interesting because, as well as integrating EV charging, we’ve done some preliminary work on how active kerbside management gets integrated. There’s an awful lot of things that are going to change parking quite dramatically.’

Other things that could be possible when you join up to the NPP include managing resident permits, connecting with public transport and other mobility providers, and maybe even linking up with the National Persistent Evader Database.

‘Change isn’t coming – it’s here,’ says Budhdeo. ‘Get your politicians on board – explain why you want to do this and the benefits of it. Take that leap of faith, because it is only going to be beneficial to you.’

To register your interest in the NPP, go to bit.ly/3vNQTeg or email npp@dft.gov.uk 1 gov.uk/government/publications/planfor-drivers 2 See bit.ly/PNJun23NPP

BPA support he Transport Technology Forum Smarter T Parking Group is led by Graham Hanson, head of Smarter Traffic Management DfT, chaired by Sarah Randall, from Agena Group, and run by the BPA. The group meets every other month online and recent meetings have included discussions about the NPP. The next meeting is on 22 March: register at britishparking.co.uk/Events There will also be a Q&A session on the NPP at BPA Live this month, at both the Leeds and Brighton events. See pages 30-31.

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Healthcare parking

Healthy choices

Paul Marjoram, Octopass CEO, looks at how staff car park management can help the NHS to reach its sustainability goals he NHS has set an ambitious target of becoming the world’s first net-zero national health service, and Greener NHS has identified various areas crucial for reducing carbon emissions. An important category is transport, which currently contributes approximately 14 per cent of NHS emissions.

In conjunction with efforts to make transport more sustainable, hospitals face the challenge of addressing the discrepancy between increasing parking demand and a limited supply of spaces.

The struggle to find a spot in a sea of cars is an issue that resonates with healthcare workers nationwide.

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Sustainable staff commuting Recognising the crucial role of its workforce in delivering its net-zero ambitions, Greener NHS recommends making staff commuting sustainable. However, many trusts are struggling to put this into practice.

While choosing public transport, cycling 18

and similar options are important, we also need to ask: how can organisations incentivise staff to opt for sustainable commuting? What about employees who lack sustainable alternatives to driving?

Empowering staff to make the choices that best suit their circumstances can lead to increased employee satisfaction and, ultimately, staff retention. Trusts need to solve commuting and parking issues in a fair way, while enhancing the end-to-end experience.

Permit management is a crucial part of the solution, empowering hospitals to control the influx of cars through effective, transparent permit-allocation practices. A thoughtfully designed parking policy can also incorporate sustainability variables in the parking permit allocation process, providing a framework for defining eligibility criteria.

Car sharing Through permit management, trusts can also incentivise additional sustainable commuting practices, such as car sharing. Car sharing is a vital tool in influencing a reduction in carbon emissions and alleviating parking demand.

This option is particularly important for individuals without access to public transport.

Organisations can incentivise the use of car-share permits not only in the absence of available single-use permits, but also by offering parking discounts for

multi-occupancy journeys. Furthermore, car sharing can provide a host of benefits for staff, such as socialising on the way to work and sharing the cost of fuel.

Digital permit management While some hospitals are equipped with advanced parking management systems, many still struggle with outdated, manual processes that contribute to inefficiencies in permit allocation.

Investing in a digital permit management system is a pivotal step for NHS trusts to streamline permit administration and reach their goal of making staff commuting more sustainable. Equipped with intelligent algorithms, a digital system can assess various factors of parking permit applications, including the availability of sustainable transportation options, compatible staff routes, work shifts, and more.

As NHS trusts strive to reach net-zero emission goals and adapt to evolving staff needs and parking constraints, a robust permit management policy becomes integral to fostering not only fairness and staff wellbeing, but also sustainability in the parking system. As the healthcare landscape evolves, so too must the approach to staff parking, ensuring that healthcare professionals can focus on what matters most – the wellbeing of their patients.

Make 2024 the year you simplify complex parking processes visit zatpark.com/events

Scan the QR code to see where you can meet us

EV charging opportunities

Charging potential Car park operators must do more than get EV chargers in the ground if they are to make money, explains Sara Sloman, chief strategy officer, Paythru

uch talk about electric vehicle (EV) charging concerns local authorities deploying public chargers en masse, but private car park operators are also playing a key role in this transition, by installing chargers in parking spaces.

Operators are not charities, however, and they won’t keep going if they can’t make money. So, beyond getting chargers in the ground, what can be done to increase the revenue they generate?

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Be creative The way to increase revenue is to attract more users to your chargers and ensure they actually use them. Most car park operators will already have put their chargers on platforms such as Zapmap, so they can be found by those actively looking for a charge – but operators can also be more creative.

There is big potential demand from fleets to negotiate to use chargers at night, when car

parks are quiet. For smaller operations, a car park that is full of vehicles during the week, but empty at weekends, could be a great place for an eco market, with low-cost EV charging attracting affluent, socially conscious types.

Partnerships can also boost business.

A retail centre car park could partner with businesses there to make it a desirable charging destination. It could, for example, offer taxi fleets a discounted lunch while they charge, or give loyalty points through a charging app that can be redeemed in the retail park.

“Grazers might access lots of chargers and can easily skip one if it’s too complicated”

20

EV charging opportunities

Car parks can also monetise eyeballs. An app or digital display is a great place to sell adverts for local businesses or brands wanting to target EV drivers.

“Digital technologies let you set up alternative front-end payment options… and can add in clever functionality”

Make charging easy

Use technology

People want to arrive, plug in, start the charge, and pay simply. This is particularly true given the growing trend for ‘grazing’, whereby people do lots of short, top-up charges while they are parked. Grazers might access lots of chargers and can easily skip one if it’s too complicated.

Apps or RFID cards are good for people who use your chargers a lot. Occasional or passing users are more likely to want to plug in, select the charge, and pay with a credit or debit card at a terminal, or via a very simple web app with no sign-up. It’s also worth noting that many professional drivers will want a receipt.

Consider your range of users, and offer the full scope of payment options they might want, plus clear information about what these are.

By lifting the payment away from the charger and into the cloud (connected via an API), you can set up various payment systems to suit different users.

You could build an easy-to-use app designed for your customers, or integrate payments into your existing app or someone else’s – such as a train company app or shopping centre app – to allow a charge to be added onto another service.

Digital technologies let you set up alternative front-end payment options that work via the cloud-based gateway, such as a payment webpage or payment at existing terminals.

They can also add in clever functionality,

such as managing payment splits between multiple parties, or setting up loyalty schemes and promotions.

If payment processing happens in the cloud, it is possible to design multiple user-friendly front-end experiences, and layer valuable digital services on top.

Look beyond Whatever stage you are at on your EV journey, there are probably ways to get more from your charging infrastructure by attracting more users and making it easier for people to engage.

Car park operators should think beyond getting chargers in the ground, and look for the opportunities to get the most from them.

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Ernest Davies Award winner

Time-off travellers The road trip of the future could be a break from the grinding reality of today’s car journeys. A speculative trip by David Peach

low hum roused Jordan from sleep in the early hours.

He realised, without giving it too much thought, it was the Mark 2 vehicles leaving the drive. When returning for redeployment, the vehicles were self-guided the short distance to the nearest available hub where they would be inspected and valeted. Their departure was followed shortly after by a crunch on the gravel that signalled the bigger tyres of the Mark 4 positioning themselves outside the house.

Jordan had set the alarm for 6am. But he needn’t have bothered, as the kids gave an excited squeal from the other room knowing the arrival of a new vehicle meant the start of their holidays.

Of more immediate interest to Jordan was the sound of the coffee maker switching on, and the brightening glow from the kitchen lights

A

Author’s note We live in a world facing evolution. Technological advance and change is, as always, an opportunity and a threat. Transport, artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental issues are evolving side by side. My view is that integrated public transport will play a bigger role in future – but we have had almost 140 years of cars and the autonomy they bring, and I don’t think we will relinquish that. This is my perception of how personal transport might evolve and the David Peach (left) receives the impact it might have on part of Ernest Davies Award our work and lifestyles. from BPA President Stuart Harrison PS: This wasn’t written by AI! 22

casting their warmth up the stairs. It was a mental tick in the box for him to know he’d set the ‘Holiday wake up’ routine correctly in his calendar, giving him hope the rest of the day would run smoothly.

No pressure As he got up to shower, Jordan left his partner Lexi to sleep on. She’d had a long day of work yesterday finishing calls with her nationwide remote team. All against the backdrop of the children getting in from school and trying to contain their excitement at the upcoming trip.

The family slowly gathered in the kitchen as natural light from the rising sun bathed the floor. There was excited chatter among them, but little time pressure to get on the road. They’d chosen a departure time based on an optimal journey plan provided as part of their vehicle subscription.

Looking at the form of the new-season Mark 4 glinting in the sun, Jordan reflected on how the family had found some unexpected benefits in switching to autonomous vehicles.

Being able to plan their journey with a degree of certainty and reliability was a significant bonus. Although delays still occurred, the AV service’s blurb promised the best journey route based on a full statistical analysis of historic data. It included factoring in the odds of a delay caused by external factors – weather, the (very rare) accident, or control system failures. OK, it was still possible to use a nonautonomous car, but going old school came with restrictions on journey times and routes.

Jordan pondered how things had been for his parents’ generation.

They’d typically locked up significant money in a car that had to serve a whole host of needs, broke down intermittently, and which relied solely on the skill of the driver to get from A to B. Recalling the rows and tears on the road trips of childhood, in his parents’ case maybe ‘skill’ was not quite the right word. It seemed like another world. He even recalled his father telling him about his own childhood, when some cars had bench seats in the front, no seat belts, and parents and children would all squash on the one seat!

Ernest Davies Award winner

AI choices Mentally complimenting the coffee maker’s morning brew selection (which was, of course, chosen by an AI routine in the device), Jordan felt content, and warmed to his motoring decisions. After all, the Mark 4 was an all-round good thing; good at finding its way and good for the planet. Ever-increasing car adoption in his parents’ era had led to unsustainable levels of congestion. The ‘freedom of the open road’ was not that compelling when the road was crammed with other free souls.

Although electric vehicle adoption had eased emissions, improving air quality, concerns about precious metals extraction had impaired adoption. The good news, courtesy of the Tech Channel, was that vastly improved materials recovery, new technological advances in batteries, improved range, and fully renewable energy production had meant, ultimately, that electric was the obvious choice for the bulk of transport types.

In sync When Jordan and Lexi decided to take this break to the coast, it set off a simple chain of events that allowed them to adapt their daily transport needs for their holiday. For a single monthly subscription, they had opted for the use of two household vehicles whenever they needed them. For

the most part, the Mark 2 range was adequate, offering a decent level of comfort and enough space for most of the daily needs for Jordan and Lexi.

When his and her holiday dates were synched by Life Works in the family calendar, Lexi had logged onto the Journeaze online booking platform to which they subscribed. She selected the dates for their holiday and times for vehicle drop off and pick up. She’d selected the Mark 4 vehicle as it was roomier for the family and had more luggage space, with a higher comfort specification. In the process, she also relinquished both of their Mark 2 vehicles, as they would get a rebate for one of the vehicles while they were away.

As part of Lexi’s booking, she bought the VolumeMaster package for the Mark 4. VolumeMaster was pure genius, as it delivered, in advance of their holiday, a series of soft packing cubes perfectly optimised for the layout of the selected vehicle. It meant packing could be done ahead of time and there were less last-minute stresses about whether everything would fit in the car! As long as, of course, that they could agree among themselves who got the most cubes!

This is an extract: you can read the full article online at britishparking.co.uk/Ernest-Davies-Award 23

Parking payments

The mobility jigsaw Louise Parfitt talks to PayByPhone’s CEO Jonny Combe about the future for parking apps

believe there are three major external influences on the sector at the moment: the continued trajectory in mobile payments, which surged during the pandemic and has continued to grow; changes in the design and use of urban areas to become increasingly pedestrianised; and an explosion in electric vehicle [EV] ownership.’

I last interviewed Jonny Combe in early 2019, when he’d only been at PayByPhone – and in the parking sector – for a matter of months. Five years in, I was curious to know his thoughts now. Of course, another rather big development in the sector has been the acquisition, in late-2023, of PayByPhone by FLEETCOR Technologies.

‘I

Fitting it together FLEETCOR is a global business payments company, specialising in vehicle, mobility and corporate transactions such as tolls and fuel payments for fleet vehicles. It has more than 800,000 business clients and five million customers, and it operates in more than 150 countries. So why PayByPhone?

‘Like many companies, FLEETCOR is adjusting to the shift to EVs. One reason that 24

“That’s the vision behind the NPP: to make it a level playing field and to make sure all the providers involved are playing nicely” PayByPhone is strategically important for FLEETCOR is that we have a lot of consumer relationships, which is a big piece of the EV puzzle,’ Combe explains.

Another recent FLEETCOR acquisition is Plugsurfing, a European EV software and network provider. ‘When you start connecting these things together – Plugsurfing’s 500,000 EV locations across Europe and PayByPhone’s two million monthly active users in the UK – you can make a pretty compelling consumer offering,’ adds Combe.

‘If we can build more value into the PayByPhone app, that’s going to be better for our customers. It’s also going to push the whole industry forward, because although parking payments will remain a core part of our offering, it is only one piece of the mobility jigsaw puzzle.’

A complete picture This mobility jigsaw includes the National Parking Platform (NPP; for more on this, see

pages 14-17). As one of the bigger players in the UK market, what does the NPP offer PayByPhone?

‘It is great for consumer choice,’ says Combe. ‘But when we look at creating an open market, the most important thing by far is that we have an independent party that acts as the aggregator. That’s the vision behind the NPP: to make it a level playing field and to make sure all the providers involved are playing nicely.’

If we chat again in five years’ time, what does Combe think will have changed? ‘I would hope our conversation would be less around PayByPhone purely in parking and more about the suite of mobility services – including EV charging – that we offer our consumers, and how quickly that’s happened as a result of leveraging the power of a shareholder such as FLEETCOR,’ he says. ‘I think that will give a completely new dynamic, not only to the business, but also to the industry as a whole, because that will mean our competitors have a lot to keep up with.’

List your vacancies on the UK’s only dedicated industry jobs board for the UK parking and traffic management sector Traffic Regulation Order Lead Full Time Portsmouth City Council £44,428 – £48,474

Portsmouth

360 Recruitment Consultant – Public Sector / Parking Services Full Time Business Smart Solutions UK £30,000 Closes: 8 February National Parking Manager – Forestry England Full Time Forestry England Anywhere £35,870 – £38,842 Closes: 3 February 2024

www.parkingjobs.co.uk For more information and to get in touch with the media team, please contact John Wheaton john.wheaton@cplone.co.uk; or call +44 (0)1223 378042

New members

A warm Welcome welcome Meet the organisations that joined the BPA at the end of 2023

Peter Guest, European editor for Parking Today and former BPA President, reports on the recent Parking Industry Exhibition, held in Reno, Nevada

October Eagle Eye Networks een.com Smart, simple, secure cloud video surveillance. The Eagle Eye cloud video management system simplifies video surveillance through the flexibility of cloud-based software paired with the convenience of easy, affordable installation and remote management.

Torfaen County Borough Council www.torfaen.gov.uk County borough council managing roads, travel and parking.

Twin twinbank.co.uk Twin is the new, simple, flexible parking and electric vehicle charging package. With ultra-modern, good-looking hardware, plus a mobile app, Twin is the payment solution for parking, charging, or both. It also has back-office systems to revolutionise your business.

Urban Fox Network urbanfox.network Urban Fox provides convenient on-street electric vehicle charging and low-impact charging infrastructure ready for the mass adoption of electric vehicles in cities and towns.

Backed by Balfour Beatty, it offers a whole-life solution to local authorities.

Gary Lee Parking Consultancy garyleeparkingconsultancy.com Consultancy service offering parking-related services such as tender writing, strategy submissions, operational planning, parking on private land advice, and local authority parking advice.

November North Tees and Hartlepool Solutions nthsolutions.co.uk NHS subsidiary providing integrated hospital and community services across Hartlepool, Stockton and parts of County Durham.

CAS Engineering wohr-parking.co.uk CAS Engineering is the sole UK agent for Wohr Parking Systems, IdealPark car lifts, and Stocklin automated

26

New members

warehouse systems at Heathrow Airport. It picks up cars from any terminal in Heathrow and takes them to its secure Park Mark car park until the customer returns.

Runnymede Borough Council

East Hampshire District Council

Preformed Line Products (GB)

easthants.gov.uk Peter Guest, European editor for Parking Local authority managing parking and traffic. Today

preformed.com PLP’s EV Charging Station Foundation is a prefabricated, precision-engineered solution for electric vehicle charging.

This durable yet lightweight polypropylene foundation requires no specialised machinery and can be installed by one person in one day.

and former BPA President, reports on the recent Business Smart Exhibition, Solutions held in Reno, Nevada Parking Industry

businesssmartsolutions.co.uk Public sector recruitment agency and consultancy, looking to expand into the parking sector.

NCC Movement Joint Systems nccinaction.co.uk NCC supplies fire-rated and non-fire-rated movement joints for paving, landscaping and buildings.

runnymede.gov.uk Local council managing roads, travel and parking.

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

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• 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?

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***Parking Experience Essential***

27

BPA research

Facts and figures Isaac Occhipinti, BPA head of external affairs, shares some of the statistics from the BPA’s recent parking perceptions survey

ast year, the BPA commissioned research agency Walnut to conduct a nationwide survey of the public’s perception of the parking industry and how parking operates in the UK. This is the third time the BPA has carried out this research, after surveys in 2019 and 2021.

Walnut interviewed a nationally representative online sample of 3,031 UK adults between 30 October and 6 November 2023.

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Main findings ■ The impact of parking on everyday life has remained stable. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of the general public now say it has a ‘big impact’, compared with 23 per cent in 2021 and 29 per cent in 2019.

■ More people are seeking out cheaper or free parking, with 58 per cent saying they are doing this, compared with 54 per cent in 2021.

■ The top reasons for dissatisfaction with parking continue to be a lack of spaces (52 per cent), cost (39 per cent), and the size of parking bays (23 per cent).

■ The main drivers of satisfaction with parking are the availability of

spaces (49 per cent), convenience/being close to where people live or work (40 per cent), and cost (25 per cent), in line with the previous survey in 2019.

■ Parking at supermarkets continues to rank the highest (74 per cent satisfied); hospitals the lowest (28 per cent satisfied).

■ There has been a decrease in the number of people who agree that there are sufficient Blue Badge or disabled parking spaces (down three percentage points to 39 per cent), although the number who think there are sufficient parent-child spaces has remained stable.

■ More people now think they should not have to pay for parking (49 per cent compared with 42 per cent two years ago). Despite this, most people (77 per cent) do pay for parking.

■ Most people pay for their parking by credit/debit card (53 per cent) or cash (51 per cent). Credit card use is more popular than two years ago (up seven percentage points), but cash is less so (down 10 percentage points).

■ When given the choice of how to pay, credit/debit card continues to be most people’s (48 per cent) preferred method of payment, followed by cash (43 per cent), consistent with 2021.

■ Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of the public have received a parking ticket in the past three years, with an equal split in the issuing of tickets between a private operator (47 per cent) and a local authority (45 per cent).

■ Half (49 per cent) of people surveyed agree that parking tickets are effective at deterring drivers from breaking the rules.

■ Two in five (41 per cent) oppose the government’s proposals for a reduction of the parking charge notice and nearly two in five (38 per cent) think motorists who break the rules should fund car park management and enforcement.

■ The public are more positive toward barrier-free automatic number plate recognition camera parking systems (48 per cent, up four percentage points) and parking payment terminals that require them to enter their full number plate (44 per cent, up four percentage points) than they were two years ago.

■ More than a third (37 per cent) of the population supports the introduction of a multi-vendor mobile payment system, and

“Most people pay for their parking by credit/debit card or cash. Credit card use is more popular than two years ago, but cash is less so”

28

BPA research

an identical proportion (37 per cent) would expect their local council to offer it in the next five years.

services and what they think of them. It also highlights the importance of effective parking management in improving compliance, preventing antisocial behaviour and reducing carbon emissions.’

Next steps The BPA will conduct further analysis and produce a comprehensive report for members that will be shared online.

It will continue to use this research to lobby government, develop campaigns, and provide targeted support to members in order to develop the sector’s future and educate wider society on the benefits of a well-functioning parking sector. The survey also showed that less than four per cent of motorists have received a PCN from a private operator in the past year, which strongly contradicts the government narrative that there is a market failure in this area, especially as the trend has been for proportionately fewer private PCNs per motorist with each successive survey.

‘The third iteration of this research has yielded yet more valuable insights into the parking sector in the UK,’ says Conor Greely, chair of the BPA’s Technology, Innovation and Research Service Board.

‘The results of this survey, taken together with the 2019 and 2021 surveys, illuminates how we as an industry are perceived, what we are doing well and areas we can improve on. The BPA’s goal is to increase standards in our industry and this work stream enables us to continually do so by understanding how consumers utilise our

Liquid Applied Waterproofing Systems Car Parks Underground Ramps Entrances & Exits

You can read the research from 2019 and 2021 by going to britishparking.co.uk/Public-Perceptions

“There has been a decrease in the number of people who agree that there are sufficient Blue Badge or disabled parking spaces”

WestWood Liquid Technologies Limited 31 Morris Road, Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset, BH17 0GG

Phone: +44 800 808 5480 / www.westwood-uk.com

29

BPA news

BPA events As well as BPA Live, other events planned for 2024 include: ■E V Connect Group meeting: 6 March (online) ■T TF Smarter Parking Group meeting: 22 March (online) ■P arking Structures Interest Group meeting: 27 March (online) ■ R etail and Leisure Interest Group: 9 May (online) ■P arkex: 22-23 May, CBS Arena, Coventry ■T TF Smarter Parking Group meeting: 28 June (online) ■P arking Technology Interest Group: 11 July (online) ■P arking Scotland Expo: 18 September, Perth ■T TF Smarter Parking Group meeting: 20 September (online) ■E V Connect Group meeting: 26 September (online) ■P arking Wales Expo: 9 October, Swansea ■P arking Structures Interest Group meeting: 10 October (online) ■P arking Technology Interest Group: 7 November (online) ■R etail and Leisure Interest Group: 14 November (online) ■T TF Smarter Parking Group meeting: 22 November (online) ■M embers’ Dinner: 28 November, Drapers’ Hall, London See britishparking.co.uk/Events

BPA Code update is live Version 9 of the BPA Code of Practice for BPA Approved Operators will go live on 1 February. It includes updates to complaint handling (Clause 11) and pursuit of an unpaid tariff (Clause 8.2); and a number of other clauses taken from the withdrawn Private Parking Code of Practice.

The BPA held a webinar on 11 January for Approved Operators that included a reminder of the revisions.

To watch it again, email aos-memberenquiries@britishparking.co.uk

30

BPA Live returns for 2024 The first of the BPA’s four ‘Live’ events takes place this month at the Aspire in Leeds on 7 February, followed at the end of the month (29 February) in Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Both events are now closed for registrations, but members can still register their free place for Bristol (13 March) and Peterborough (20 June).

The programme at each event includes: ■ Regional forums ■ L ocal authority forum (for local authority members only) ■ POPLA workshop ■ The Great Big Parking Debate ■ Healthcare forum (at Leeds, sponsored

by Octopass) ■ Higher Education forum (at Brighton) ■ Airport Operator forum (at Brighton) Topics being discussed include: ■ Parking and traffic management in a carbon-neutral future ■P rocurement and The Procurement Act 2023 ■ 3G switch off ■ Protecting customers from parking payment fraud ■ Positively raising the profile of the parking sector ■ Cyber security: protecting customers against fraud ■ Digitising and standardising traffic regulation orders ■ The future of car parks, accessibility, and the customer experience ■ The National Parking Platform – the power of open data ■ Responsible uses of AI

In addition, there will be opportunities for members to network and meet suppliers who are exhibiting. Representatives from the Department for Transport will be on hand to answer your National Parking Platform questions, as well as members of the BPA’s council of representatives and the BPA staff team.

Dave Smith, BPA head of marketing and events, said: ‘We are thrilled with the response to BPA Live and the anticipation for each event is building nicely for the first of these in Leeds and Brighton this month.

From the outset, we designed a series of events with a format that had wide appeal across our membership community and a programme that really captured the topics of interest that members are dealing with right now, with sessions that can provide support through practical guidance and advice.

‘We would like to thank our members for supporting these events and in particular our sponsors, CDER Group and Zatpark.’

A review of BPA Live in Leeds will appear in next month’s issue. For more information and to book for Bristol and Peterborough, visit britishparking.co.uk/BPA-Live There are also a few opportunities left to exhibit; anyone interested should email communications@britishparking.co.uk to check what is available.

Cream of the crop BPA area managers were busy at the end of last year with car park assessments. Congratulations to the following teams for the high standards they have attained.

■C itiPark’s Leeds Dock multi-storey car park has been awarded Park Mark Plus and Park Access. John Gautrey, chief operating officer at CitiPark, said: ‘This achievement is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of our exceptional staff who go above and beyond to ensure that Leeds Dock remains a secure and inclusive car park.’

■ Buttercrane Centre in Newry, Northern Ireland, has been awarded Park Mark. Operations manager Mary McDonnell said: ‘This is a significant endorsement of recent investment to improve our parking facilities and we are delighted.’

■T he London Borough of Newham has once again achieved the prestigious Park Mark award for six car parks recently reassessed by the Metropolitan Police and the BPA. Carl Brown, parking operations manager, Newham Council, said: ‘Newham Council is dedicated to creating a cleaner, safer, greener environment.

These awards show that hard work and investment are proving successful.’

■N CP has received the Park Mark Award for achieving the highest standards at sites at Witham, Bishop’s Stortford and Audley End. Ian Wilson, BPA area manager, said: ‘The NCP team works tirelessly to reduce crime in the station car parks they operate on behalf of Greater Anglia. The new car park at Bishop’s Stortford demonstrates NCP’s ongoing commitment to providing a safe environment for its users.’

■Q -Park Talbot Street in Nottingham gained Park Mark Plus award.

Adam Bidder, managing director, said: ‘We are delighted to be recognised for the confidence that we provide to our customers regarding the safety of their property.’

■ Ashford International Truckstop has received the Park Mark Freight Award. Operations director Darren Smith said: ‘AIT is so pleased to receive this great award. We work so hard to provide a high level of security, keeping our customers safe and well-rested for their journey ahead.’

■T he Brewery Centre in Romford, London, has once again retained

BPA area manager Ian Wilson (left) with the NCP’s Ron O’Farrell

From left: CitiPark’s Pawel Leputa, Victoria Cayzer and Mohammed Khan, with BPA area manager Ryan Davey its Park Mark Award. PC Karl Turton, Met Police designing out crime officer, said: ‘It is reassuring to work with the team at the Brewery who clearly value the principles of crime prevention and working in partnership with the BPA and the Metropolitan Police.’

■ National Car Parks (EUK) has retained Park Mark for Ebbsfleet International Station. Ian Wilson, BPA area manager, said: ‘Ebbsfleet International Station first received the award in 2008 so it’s only fitting to celebrate its 15th anniversary and pay tribute to the team’s continued effort to raise standards.’

■ The Centre: MK has achieved the coveted Park Mark Plus Award. Kevin Duffy, director, said: ‘Working together with Anchor to achieve this latest accolade has been highly rewarding as it recognises Centre: MK’s commitment to its community, environment, and customer experience.’

■ The Goodmayes Retail Park in Chadwell Heath, London, has once again received the Park Mark award. Antony Powell, BPA area manager, said: ‘This latest award demonstrates the Savills management team’s hard work and commitment to providing a safer environment for all users of the facilities.’

■ Slough Brunel Way car park, managed by Green Parking, has achieved the Park Mark award. Ben Gill, general manager at Green Parking, said: ‘We are delighted that Brunel Way has so quickly achieved the Park Mark award after its re-opening in December.

We want our customers to have a good parking experience and the Park Mark shows we take seriously both personal safety and vehicle safety.’

To find Park Mark car parks visit parkmark.co.uk

AOS Census is open The BPA would like to thank all Approved Operators who have responded to the AOS Census, which opened on 15 January. If you have not yet responded, please do so before the deadline of 5 February.

‘Participation in the census has never been more important,’ said Sara Roberts, head of Conformity Assessment Body Transition. ‘Previous data supplied was integral to the BPA’s submission to the government’s call for evidence for the Private Parking Code of Practice. The data provided in this census will further support our response when the consultation on the amount of the parking charge and debt resolution fee opens.’

If you have any questions, please contact aos-memberenquiries@britishparking.co.uk 31

CAR PARKS 2024

Presented by:

Organised by:

Thursday 14 March 2024 15 Hatfields, London SE1

Supported by:

Car Parks 2024 is an event focused on the design, construction, operation and maintenance of parking structures. The day will offer topical presentations, expert panels and a chance to network with colleagues in an exhibition showcasing the latest systems and services.

Car parks are not just places to garage vehicles. They are dynamic spaces whose users are always on the move. They are important civic structures that support their local economy, open up destinations and provide space for a wide range of other services activities.

A new generation of public car parks is showing that multistoreys can be iconic gateways to town and city centres and act as catalysts for urban regeneration. The day will also showcase recent champion car parks from the British Parking Awards.

Key themes At Car Parks 2024 expert panels will address key issues and answer questions on: l Car park design l Selecting structures l Exterior design l Fire safety l Circulation and signage l Lighting, CCTV, ventilation and lifts l Renovation and refurbishment l Managing car parks l Designing out crime l Electric vehicle charging

Who will be attending The day will showcase The Institution of Structural Engineers’ new book Car Park Design.

The publication won the 'Special Jury Award' at the British Parking Awards 2023 as an exceptional entry that particularly impressed the jury, which is a panel of experts drawn from across the parking, automotive, transport and related sectors.

When attending Car Parks 2024 you will meet: l Car park operators and facility managers l Architects, engineers and consultants l Parking system providers l Mobility service operators l Electric vehicle infrastructure providers l Property developers l Real estate investors

Exhibition Programme The conference will feature expert presentations and topical debates. If you have an idea for a talk contact the event’s programmer Mark Moran, mark.moran@landor.co.uk

Car Parks 2024 provides your company with the perfect opportunity to carefully target the marketing of your services to the car park design, construction and management sectors.

To participate contact Jason Conboy: jason@landor.co.uk

www.landorlinks.uk/car-parks-24

Park life

Dates, dating, data…

Kelvin Reynolds considers the importance of words beginning with ‘D’ in bringing about change for the parking sector hat’s the link between the three words in the headline?

Intrigued as I am about the origin of words and their derivatives, I looked it up.

They come from the Latin word datum, which means ‘something given’.

I then thought about important dates for 2024. Some we know, such as Parkex, 22-23 May; some we don’t know, such as when

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the statutory Code of Practice will ‘go live’; and then there are some about which there is much speculation – the impending general election, for example.

If you are developing a new relationship, you are said to be ‘dating’. Dated is another derivative, which means tired or worn out: old fashioned. Then comes ‘data’, which can be given or taken!

As it’s February, my mind turns to

St Valentine, and my first ‘date’ with my wife: 9 July 1975, 7pm at the Cutty Sark, in Greenwich, London to be precise. Quirkily, dates and time are measured from Greenwich.

Love, they say, is all about ‘give and take’.

Drivers for change Presently, it could be said that the government is ‘dating’ motorists with its ‘Plan for drivers’.* It focuses on issues it says matter to drivers, including: ■ smoother journeys ■ stopping unfair enforcement ■ easier parking ■ cracking down on inconsiderate driving ■ helping the transition to zero-emission motoring.

The plan includes a list of actions that government will pursue with local authorities and others to ensure drivers get a ‘fair deal’ alongside other road users.

Love or loathe the plan, our sector is a focus for all of this. We are fully behind the principles 33

Park life

– always have been. The challenge is to achieve it all, fairly and responsibly for everyone, not just for drivers. A bit of give and take if you like.

Let’s focus on ‘easier parking’.

■ Better parking technology. Deliver the new National Parking Platform (NPP), which will be open to parking providers across the UK by autumn 2024, ending the need to use multiple parking apps.

■ Challenge unfair parking rules. Consult on revising guidance about the public’s right to challenge local authority parking policies.

■ Find parking more easily. Digitised traffic regulation orders (DTROs) will help identify easily where it is legal to park anywhere in the country.

The NPP requires data, lots of it, and its true power is about data sharing – giving and taking. A whole range of BPA members will be participants. It’s good to know that we are actively engaged with government – through a variety of channels – to influence the development of the NPP, effectively represent our BPA community, and best support our members. Read about the NPP on pages 14-17.

Data-driven ‘Challenging unfair parking rules’ is a popular mantra of politicians, particularly at election time, but what do they mean by ‘unfair’?

Where is the data to show that local authorities are being unfair? Isn’t it also unfair that local authority penalty charges in England and Wales remain at levels first set in 2001?

We have been ‘dating’ Parking and Traffic Regulation Outside London (PATROL) and London Councils to study the impact of dated penalty charges on responsible drivers, and the negative effects it has on ‘smoother journeys’ by adding to congestion and 34

“‘Challenging unfair parking rules’ is a popular mantra of politicians, particularly at election time, but… where is the data to show that local authorities are being unfair?” increasing pollution. They are so dated as to be ineffective! We have the data to prove it and we have submitted it to government.

Digital developments DTROs – now there is a good idea! We’ve been advocating for them for years. It is the case that automated vehicles cannot read PDF files or typewritten TROs that are stored in a filing cabinet at the town hall.

Daily papers dream of a digital dawn, just over the horizon where parking enforcement will be consigned to history books. These are false dawns and diatribe...

In the Automated Vehicles Bill, the government may be setting some optimistic speculative dates. DTRO regulations will be consulted on during 2024. The Statutory Instrument will come in 2025; a transition period for councils to comply with the regulations is promised before it becomes mandatory to submit the data in late 2025 or early 2026. But is this for new orders only or all existing orders?

Does anyone know how many TROs there are across the UK? How accurate are they compared with what is on the ground? Does anyone know how ‘digital ready’ they are or how long it will take to convert those which aren’t? Is it a case of ‘scan and go’ in places where DTROs don’t exist? Where is the data?

Give and take Local authority parking teams across the country are being expected to deliver data

on an unprecedented scale. All the while, government wants free parking and has set about reducing further the funds available for efficient and effective enforcement.

Let’s feel the love and have some ‘give’ instead of ‘take’.

■ We’d love government to raise penalty charges in England (and Wales) to match those set in 2023 by the Scottish parliament.

■ We’d love it to properly fund and resource local authorities to fully enable DTROs. ■ We’d love government to stop blaming us for taking enforcement action when drivers don’t comply with the rules that are there for everyone’s benefit.

■ We’d love it to appreciate what life would be like without proper and effective parking and traffic management.

Now, that would be a ‘Plan for [responsible] drivers’. Happy Valentine’s! * gov.uk/government/publications/planfor-drivers

Kelvin Reynolds BPA chief technical services officer and company secretary kelvin.r@britishparking. co.uk

Specialist services directory

To advertise, or for further information, please call John Wheaton on 01223 378042 or email john.wheaton@cplone.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION & REFURBISHMENT

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CPE Implementation assistance Contract preparation (enforcement, customer service and IT) Quality review of existing operations Management support Policy and procedure manuals TMA 2004 training and WAMITAB qualification CEO Training and WAMITAB qualification

Audits and compliance surveys Telephone & customer care courses Letter writing courses Parking Manager’s courses Mystery shopping approved centre

All services are delivered by staff with extensive operational experience in all areas of CPE. Our Consultants are either ex-local authority managers or have many years of commercial CPE Experience. We will tailor our services to meet your specific requirements.

Contact details – Kirsty Reeves 07917 353 218 E-mail info@parkingassociates.co.uk Please visit our website for further information – www.parkingassociates.co.uk

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Safety & Security

Refuelling/Recharging

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Helping cities decarbonise, from the kerb up. Faster, more accurate digital traffic order management. Automated, centralised tariff management.

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Cammax Limited 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Makers Construction Limited

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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

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

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.

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!

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

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Orbility u u

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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.

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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.

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Parkingeye Ltd 01772 450 542 marketing@parkingeye.co.uk www.parkingeyesolutions.co.uk

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An extensive, fully configurable PCN Suite, including web and mobile info@parksmartsolutions.co.uk Attendant, Front of House Kiosk, DVLA Scanning applications. Automated 0333 332 7930 Management Portal supporting Static & Mobile ANPR PCN issuing with IVR, Driver App & Pay By Text or Phone. Location Geo Fencing with Self Set Up.

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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.

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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.

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Swarco Traffic Ltd

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.

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Total Parking Solutions 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.

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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.

03333 440834 info@zatpark.com www.zatpark.com

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John Wheaton 01223 378 042 john.wheaton@cplone.co.uk

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OVER 20 YEARS INVESTMENT IN PROCESSES, PEOPLE AND SYSTEMS

Raising the barrier when it comes to debt resolution.

The largest parking enforcement debt recovery company in the UK.

enquiries@dcbltd.com 0203 298 0201

dcbltd.com