THE PARKING FORUM
FEATURE
nightlife with nightclubs, restaurants and cinemas attracting people, then it is likely that the evenings will be the times when parking availability is at its lowest point and residents might struggle to fi nd spaces. In addition, evening parking usage will create confl ict between services, night-time deliveries and customer parking in some urban centres.
It was pointed out that while the public want a consistent and fair system, there is a huge diversity between parking needs in different towns and cities across the UK, so creating a consistent parking policy is very diffi cult. This is just one of the challenges faced by the profession.
Another point raised is the increasing number of restrictions placed on providing parking spaces at residential developments. With car ownership increasing everywhere except London, it seems counter-intuitive to limit the provision of parking spaces. It should be the case that the parking profession should be looking for solutions to increasing demand, not saying that parking should be increasingly restricted. If fewer car parking spaces are provided, drivers will simply park on-street more.
There is a huge diversity between
parking needs in different towns and cities across the UK
WHO IS IN CHARGE?
Parking space is owned and managed by a diverse group of people and bodies – local authorities, private landlords, the health service, universities, national parks and sports stadia to name a few. The wide nature of this ownership can lead to confl ict. With so many providers, and a huge number of statutory regulations relating to parking restrictions, confusion will arise. For example, while clamping is banned for private landlords, there are bylaws and statutory regulations that allow some private landlords to continue to clamp. This leads to the question of what rights the individual motorist has against these diverse regulations. For example, a motorist who falls foul of a university’s parking regulations will not have a right of independent appeal if that university is not a member of the BPA’s approved operator scheme. Equally, a motorist running up against railway parking bylaws can go to Passenger Focus, but this is not a body set up specifi cally to deal with parking issues and
its services to motorists are not that visible. Three main points emerged. The fi rst questioned how visible the appeals process was to the motorist.
The second point was the need for some serious research into parking-related matters. The two most obvious issues highlighted by this Forum are a clarity on parking regulations and the need to look further into parking’s role in rejuvenating town centres. The fi nal issue looked at the
proportionality of penalty charges. While the average person’s annual spend on parking is relatively low – £50-£60/annum – if you make a mistake, then the penalty is disproportionately high. In comparison, in Spain, 200,000 vehicles are towed away because they are causing congestion. This causes the driver as much inconvenience as he or she has caused the other drivers. However, for a vehicle that is merely parked incorrectly, the fi ne is relatively small, making the parking fi ne seem more relevant.
INPUT REQUIRED
The Driving Standards Agency will be re-issuing the Highway Code in 2017. It was suggested that the parking profession should have input into this publication, as parking – and understanding parking regulations – are crucial parts of driving in a safe and responsible manner.
MARCH 2013 33
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