SCP8 FEATURE: PRICING


typical multi-storey car park as well as reducing the centre’s


carbon footprint. Whereas the old sodium or fluorescent lights only last a


maximum of 3 years, LED lights have a 10-year life span. APT SkiData’s LED lights provides the infrastructure to expand a


basic lighting installation into a more complete system that includes bay sensing.


SPACE ISSUES According to Rose, lack of space can create serious problems but there are ways around this which can ultimately reduce parking charges for regular shoppers. “Key to the running of a successful shopping centre car park is


ensuring that it is being used by your customers,” he says. “Making sure that the site is not exploited by drivers using the site for parking but not shopping will benefit genuine customers and outlets alike. “One of the most effective ways to deal with this issue is to


introduce a tariff structure or, where parking is free, to put in a time limit or introduce charging. Parking ticket validation for genuine customers allowing either free parking or a discounted rate is another way of ensuring that parkers use the stores. Rose believes that reducing congestion in car parks can go a


long way to increasing efficiency and keeping people coming back. “Among other things, a poorly laid out car park is dangerous. It is vital that parking bays are of a correct size – modern cars are larger than they used to be – and are clearly marked out to provide customers with a clear route to the shops from their vehicles. Get this wrong and cars will be parked in locations likely to add to congestion, reduce visibility and block lines of sight. It will also lead to foot traffic mixing with road traffic, which will only complicate things further. “Making sure that parking spaces and pedestrian routes are both


clearly marked and accessible will ensure that the flow of the site remains uncongested and that customers can find their way back to their car easily.” Taking stock of car park lanes is another useful point, particularly


significant in car parks which have too few lanes or lanes which are too narrow. “The main thing to pinpoint is when congestion is at its heaviest – are vehicles queuing to get in or out at peak times?” says Rose.


SHOPPING CENTRE March 2011 www.shopping-centre.co.uk


“If changes to the site can accommodate it, the introduction of a bi-directional lane will make it much easier to manage traffic flow during these busy periods.” Introducing marshalling – if you haven’t already – is another


option. “At peak times, the addition of trained parking marshalls will not


only go a long way to reducing congestion on sites but also has the added advantages of improving security as well as offering excellent customer service,” explains Rose. Stewart Devlin, northern region business development manager


at UK Parking Control agrees. “If there are limited spaces, people park on double yellow lines and emergency access bays so you have to facilitate the flow of traffic,” he says. “In retail parks it’s especially important that wardens are on site


to manage traffic flow especially at busy times like Christmas and school holidays like Easter and summer. “Our wardens have a Palm handheld device which gives them


instant data on traffic flow. It can be analysed by site managers online who can feed useful information back to staff on the ground and decide how many people should be on site and in which areas, particularly important at peak traffic times.” For centres looking to lower running and installation costs or


the risk factor associated with paying out large sums of money, UK Parking Control offer clients a cost neutral set up. The cost of signage, technologies like ANPR, wardens and anything else needed to set up on site are incurred by the company and paid for as a percentage of revenue. Devlin warns that centres which choose to take a percentage of


revenue from parking charge notices should be careful. “Patrons are wary if they know the operator makes profit off the back of payment notices and might choose to park elsewhere,” he explains. “The modern shopping experience starts in the car park,”


concludes Rose. “The facilities offered to customers outside are as important as the range of stores and products on offer inside – a user friendly, cost-effective and modern car parking system has become a necessity.”


Find out more: For more information, please contact the author: mia.hunt@jldmedia.com


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