OPINION THE GREAT PARKING DEBATE
the standards required. While the introduction of the Protection
How can the public have confidence in an
industry that is clearly making its profits from the enforcement of defective schemes?
of Freedoms Act in October 2012 aimed to wipe out rogue clampers, we warned government of the risk of these companies turning to rogue ticketing, and called for it to be made mandatory for every company involved in managing parking on private land to become a member of an accredited trade association (ATA). So far the government has resisted making this change. We believe though that there should be additional protection for the motorist in the form of an independent appeals service. We established this in October last year. It’s free to the motorist and a decision by the adjudicator is binding on the operator. Much has been achieved to change the landscape for parking on private land, creating a fairer and transparent mechanism for the motorist, and a means of holding the operator to account.
GJ From the NoTo Mob’s viewpoint, and from the viewpoint of the many members of the public who openly show their support for us, Caroline Sheppard, the chief adjudicator, is absolutely correct in that we definitely do not trust an industry that makes a living by finding ever more ingenious (some would say devious) ways to extract cash from motorists if they make the slightest mistake. Add to that deep public resentment over the growing use of CCTV and ANPR for enforcement purposes together with unease over how this impinges
38 MAY 2013
on our civil liberties, and you will understand the gaping chasm that now stands between the public and the parking industry. We recognise that those in the business of traffic enforcement will find it challenging to earn and retain the trust of those it enforces against, and we fully accept that proportionate and reasonable enforcement is absolutely necessary. However, the problem really starts when we witness an industry that is rewarded by its failures. We are repeatedly told by people in the industry that ‘we would be delighted if we never had to issue another ticket’, and yet we see stories in the press time and again of box junctions and bus lanes etc. raking in millions of pounds in penalties, year on year. How can the public have confidence in an industry that is clearly making its profits from the enforcement of defective schemes?
KR Many parking acts are not as black- and-white or clear-cut as the camera might suggest and it’s very important that we have in place protocols to identify enforcement activity which might be considered unfair or inappropriate. We have to build the public trust in the use of CCTV, ANPR and other camera enforcement, so that we can use it effectively and efficiently to provide good parking facilities that enable Britain’s towns and cities to function properly. We absolutely and fundamentally support the need to ensure that traffic signs, especially those which involve parking controls and enforcement, are clear, concise, and
www.britishparking.co.uk
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