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June 2020 | #338
www.parkingreview.co.uk
SOCIABLE DISTANCING Pop-up cycle paths are helping people travel to and from work safely PA R K I N G • T R A FF I C • K E R B S I D E
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WHAT’S IN JUNE 2020 Editorial Managing editor: Mark Moran Tel: 020 7091 7871 mark.moran@landor.co.uk Deputy editor: Deniz Huseyin Tel: 020 7091 7872 deniz.huseyin@landor.co.uk Editorial director: Peter Stonham
Advertising Jason Conboy Tel: 020 7091 7895 jason@landor.co.uk
Production & Design production@landor.co.uk
Subscriptions Christina Pierre Tel: 020 7091 7959 subs@landor.co.uk
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PERMANENT POP-UPS. Streets in towns and cities across the UK are being transformed as local authorities seek to assist the social distancing of people by making more space for walking and cycling. Councils are doing this by widening pavements, closing roads to through-traffic and installing ‘pop-up’ segregated cycle lanes. These temporary schemes could pave the way for less car-centric urban centres, which will have significant implications for the provision of both kerbside and off-street parking.
Mark Moran, Editor
MCGREGOR COXALL
Accounts Irina Cocks Tel: 020 7091 7854 irina.cocks@landor.co.uk
Business manager Rod Fletcher Tel: 0191 280 1410 Parking Review was launched in 1989 and is published twelve times a year. It is the only independent magazine dedicated to the UK parking sector.
Helen Bonner
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Paul Campion
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Andy Cummins
ISSN: 0962 3599 Published by: Landor LINKS Ltd, Apollo House, 359 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY Printed by Pensord Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA © Landor LINKS Ltd 2020
CONTENTS 23 Safer routes to school The school run needs revising, says Steer’s Helen Bonner
Sign language
24 COVID-19: What have we learnt? TRL’s Paul Campion considers how travel is changing
26 Transforming our streets Urbanist Robert Huxford on transformative street design
28 Fast track to new street designs www.landor.co.uk Landor LINKS is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. www.ipso.co.uk and the Professional Publishers Association www.ppa.co.uk
The Urban Design Group publishes a ‘How to Guide’
29 Life in a socially distanced town
The BPA unveils new signing for car parks
Page 5
Making high streets safe for shoppers and visitors
30 Tuning into learning
On a new road
Alpha Parking has launched tutor-led video courses
32 All together now Phoenix and JBW staff have embraced volunteering
34 Welcome to the new normal A panel of experts discuss touchless parking
COVER IMAGE: LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL
Parking Review online: www.parkingreview.co.uk
Leicester is planning for an active travel future
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NEWS
Saunton Sands, Devon
McDonald’s, Sutton
IKEA, Manchester
Journeys out of lockdown start here As shops open and day trips are allowed again, cars are on the move... and in search of parking, writes Mark Moran
T
he gradual easing of lockdown will present many challenges for local authorities, town centres, destinations, retailers and parking operators. Images of vehicles queuing at drivethrough fast food outlets and shoppers lining up in car parks at IKEA stores make it clear that once people are finally allowed to visit a place they turn up in droves. The dry, sunny weeks of May saw sometimes large gatherings of people in parks, in high streets, on beaches and other beauty spots. In many places, people have not always been able to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Indeed, the sheer weight of visitors at some scenic areas, such as national parks, country parks and coastal areas, has threatened to overwhelm rural roads, village streets and car parks. Indeed various national park authorities and the County Council Network have implored potential ‘day trippers’ to stay local when getting their exercise. There is a genuine concern that people travelling great distances could spread the virus and prompt a second spike (an issue put in the spotlight during the Dominic Cummings affair that dominated the headlines over the second May Bank Holiday weekend).
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Another complicating factor has been the different pace of lockdown easing across the nations of the UK. While the will of the Westminster government holds sway in England, the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have taken a more cautious approach. Indeed, cross-border trips between England and its Celtic neighbours are not encouraged. Social distancing is being better managed in retail settings. The queue management techniques developed by the food retail sector were widely adopted at those retail destinations that have been allowed to open so far – garden centres, outdoor markets and car showrooms. (In England, non-food indoor retailers can open on 15 June and, possibly, the hospitality sector from 4 July.)
Click to connect The pandemic means that seminars, conferences and exhibitions have all been suspended. So people are finding new ways to share knowledge, leading to an explosion in the use of video conferencing and online services. Landor LINKS has developed a series of online forums that enable transport and parking professionals to meet-up and exchange their experiences. The new channels include: • The Green Transport Recovery webinars • The Traffic + Parking webinars • Local Transport Today online discussion • The Transport Responds e-bulletin www.TransportXtra.com
Whenever people do return to the high street and shopping centres, they will find the world transformed. In town centres, a wave of activity by local authorities has seen the streetscene transformed, with pavements widened, pop-up bike lanes created and through-traffic banned using a mixture of temporary barriers and social distancing signage. These cycling and walking schemes have been actively encouraged, and funded, by the national governments. There is an ambition among many mayors and councils to lock-in the benefits of lockdown, especially the reductions in traffic congestion and vehicle emissions. A desire to see ‘active travel’ become the norm in urban centres means that many of what are temporary traffic measures will become permanent. With the kerbside increasingly cordoned off and traffic being more actively directed, shoppers, commuters and visitors who decide to drive into towns will be increasingly encouraged to use car parks. Like shops and offices, social distancing measures will need to be applied to car parks. Parking operators are already installing contactless payment mechanisms and encouraging the use of phone parking as ways of reducing potential transmission of the virus. There is also real interest in implementing ideas such as car parks serving as local distribution hubs and click & collect locations, ideas that, until recently, were the stuff of conference papers. What was once a speculative future of parking is being written now.
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YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
PAYING FOR PARKING
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
SOCIAL DISTANCING
PAYING FOR PARKING
2 METRES
REMEMBER! STAY 2M APART AT ALL TIMES. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO DIRECTIONAL SIGNS AND INFORMATION
CASHLESS PAYMENT AVAILABLE*
MACHINES ARE CLEANED REGULARLY
CONTACTLESS PAYMENT ONLY SEE SIGNS FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO MAKE PAYMENT
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
EXITING VEHICLES
PAYING FOR PARKING
*See signs for instructions
KEEP 2M DISTANCE WHILST QUEUING
SANITISE OR WASH HANDS SOON AFTER USE
STOP! CHECK YOUR SURROUNDINGS BEFORE EXITING YOUR VEHICLE AND BE ALERT TO OTHERS IN THE VICINITY
KEEP 2M DISTANCE WHILST QUEUING
MACHINES ARE CLEANED REGULARLY
SANITISE OR WASH HANDS SOON AFTER USE
SEE SIGNS FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO MAKE PAYMENT
2020: The year parking came of age The BPA has learned new ways of working at the age of 50 The British Parking Association always expected 2020 to be a memorable year. The organisation turns 50 and had planned to celebrate its half century in style. However, COVID-19 pandemic means that 2020 has turned into a landmark year for very different reasons. The lockdown and its restrictions on how we travel have placed the management of traffic and parking in the front line. The BPA has thus found itself at the heart of things, helping support member organisations. “The impact on our sector has been substantial, but it is wonderful to see how the BPA community is coming together to find ways of dealing with the situation,” says BPA chief executive Andrew Pester. “I feel humbled by the way our members have pulled together to offer support across the sector and respond to the national effort. Our front line members are at the centre of the battle against COVID-19, ensuring patients get to hospitals, maintaining food chains or being
deployed to assist with other vital activities such as food parcel packing and refuse collections.” One initiative Pester is particularly proud of is NHS Free Parking, an online service that helps key workers find spaces near hospitals. “It has been an honour to help facilitate the collaboration between members to develop a new site for NHS workers and volunteers to get easy access to parking spaces,” says Pester. The association has also been engaging with different arms of government on a range of issues. The BPA helped develop national guidance on parking for local
authorities during the pandemic in partnership with the Local Government Association, London Councils, COSLA in Scotland and WLGA in Wales. The association has also been looking out for commercial car park operator members, many of whom have found their businesses have lost income, yet they are not eligible for some of the support being offered to the businesses they support. “We are engaging with government more than ever to get clarity on issues such as Business Rates Relief and ensuring our members are heard at the highest levels.”
The BPA NHS car park finder service has been used over 20,000 times
With lockdown easing, car park operators are starting to look at how to run the sites in a socially distanced fashion. The BPA has thus produced a new risk assessment toolkit for members to manage social distancing and virus transmission in car parks during COVID-19. The toolkit includes an example risk assessment and downloadable, print-ready signs for payments and general social distancing warnings for customers. The pandemic has had an impact on the BPA itself. Key spring and summer events have been cancelled, including Parkex 2020, and a planned celebration of the association’s 50th anniversary. But the association has found new ways of connecting via webinars and podcasts. These are now part of a suite of online resources, all available to members under ‘The Meeting Place’ banner. Looking forward, Pester says: “There is no doubt that COVID-19 will have significant implications on our sector. We’re in uncharted waters and membership support remains our top priority as we work together to find a path through this situation and beyond.” www.britishparking.co.uk
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BRITISH PARKING ASSOCIATION
NEWS
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NEWS
Camera enforcement allowed on cycle lanes English local authorities can use CCTV on mandatory bike routes Local authorities in England with civil parking enforcement (CPE) powers will be able to issue a penalty charge notice by post when enforcing parking and loading restrictions in mandatory cycle lanes by using evidence from an approved camera device. The power comes into force on 22 June. The new power has been granted by the Department for Transport under the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General (Amendment) Regulations 2020. The Secretary of State’s Statutory Guidance to local authorities on the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions has now been updated to include mandatory cycle lanes in the list of circumstances where camera evidence may be used for the enforcement of parking contraventions. Cycling minister Chris HeatonHarris said: “Across the country there has been a surge in the number of people dusting off their old bike from the back of the shed and cycling, or taking journeys on foot, to get from A to B. Giving local authorities more powers to stop cycle lanes from becoming blocked will make it safer for cyclists. “These new measures also build on our recent £2bn investment to create a green, healthier legacy and see more people
Cars parked on cycle lanes often force cyclists into the flow of traffic travelling by bicycle or on foot.” The Traffic Management Act 2004 enables councils to apply for CPE powers where responsibility for enforcing parking restrictions is transferred from the police to civil enforcement officers (CEOs). Driving in a mandatory cycle lane is an offence (under Section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 – failure to comply with traffic sign) and it is enforce-
able only by the police. It is not an offence to park or load a vehicle in a mandatory cycle lane, unless a separate parking and/or loading restriction is indicated by prescribed traffic signs and yellow line road markings (underpinned by a Traffic Regulation Order). Restrictions can be introduced by local authorities with CPE powers and enforced by CEOs. Restrictions on the use of
Emergency order legislation in place Emergency legislation designed to speed up making emergency Traffic Orders that may be needed to, for example, widen pavements or install cycle lanes, has been put in place. On 23 May temporary amendments were made to: • The Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Procedure Regulations 1992 • The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 • The Secretary of State’s Traffic Order (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1990. The main change is to allow the advertising the order via digital means. The amendments also allow for non-emergency Orders, alternative publicity arrangements to help deal with practical difficulties that have arisen as a result of restrictions that are in place.
cameras for parking enforcement were put in place by the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1001) to address concerns from ministers about the way local authorities used camera enforcement. This camera enforcement of parking contraventions was limited to bus lanes, bus stops, bus stand clearways, roads outside of schools and Red Routes. The road to reintroducing camera enforcement started with the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS), published in April 2017. This set out the government’s ambition for an increase in cycling and walking. In support of that aim, and the target to reduce the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured by 2020, then transport minister Jesse Norman MP published the CWIS Safety Review Call for Evidence in March 2018. Some 14,000 responses were received covering issues from infrastructure, the law, training, and attitudes and behaviours. Protection of cyclists and pedestrians from motor vehicles was a major theme of the consultation responses, as was higher levels of compliance with the law. In the CWIS Safety Review Response and Action Plan, published in November 2018, Norman committed to giving local authorities a power to use cameras to enforce parking restrictions on mandatory cycle lanes.
Drivers and riders’ need to bring their skills up to speed The government has signalled that walking, cycling and even electric-scooters will play key roles as part of an integrated transport network as current lockdown rules are eased. However, with most cars and motorcycles having been mothballed since late March, road safety charity IAM RoadSmart believes refreshing driver and rider behaviour and skills will be essential as traffic returns to the road. The charity welcomes proposals for extra capacity for pop-up cycle lanes, wider pavements and bicycle and bus-only streets, seeing this as the safest way to integrate vulnerable road users with motorised traffic. Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart’s research and policy director, said: “We don’t really know what the new normal for transport will look like and many surveys suggest drivers can’t wait to get back into their
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Urban roads will be used by an ever more diverse range of travellers cars. Outside London, the car dominates travel to work and leisure journeys as the transport mode of choice. With the anticipated limitations on public transport use and the need to avoid overcrowding to
minimise the risk of a second spike of coronavirus infections, clearly there will be a need to consider alternative forms of transport. Our concern is that it seems a little premature to plan the future of transport when everything is still closed and demand is unknown.” With more cyclists taking to the streets, which will often feature new road layouts, observation and anticipation by drivers and riders alike will be more important than ever, said Greig. “More highly skilled and confident drivers and riders will not only make the changes to our road network and transport choices safer, they will help to minimise the risk of overloading the NHS and other emergency services. It is essential that the role and value of training is not forgotten and the government roadmap includes a dialogue on how we can share our expertise safely in the new normal.”
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NEWS
Rethinking the streetscene in Newcastle Social distancing plan developed with NHS, businesses and police Newcastle City Council is looking at how citywide transport networks can be changed to enable people to travel easily, while maintaining social distancing, and to meet the increasing demand for space to walk and cycle. New measures and road layouts, starting in the city centre, are being introduced to meet the short-term need to get the city moving in a safe way as coronavirus restrictions start to ease. The city council will also be looking at how these short-term changes could help deliver its longer-term ambitions for a cleaner and greener transport network that encourages and supports more active travel and a reduction in car journeys. To develop the plans, the council is working with partners including the NE1 business improvement district, Northumbria Police, universities and the city’s NHS Trust to ensure that the city centre is a safe and welcoming place for people. With non-essential shops opening from 1 June, the focus in the short-term is on the city centre, district shopping centres and main transport routes in and out of these areas. Plans are being developed to manage the flow of people walking and queuing on the city’s main shopping streets, including the
Schematic of how Grey Street could be reorganised
introduction of one-way pedestrian systems and markings on the ground to indicate the 2-metre distance, walkways and queuing areas. City ‘marshals’ may be used to help people understand the new system both for how to get about the area, and where to queue. Measures were initially introduced in areas such as Northumberland Street and Blackett Street, as well as on Queen Victoria Road and St Thomas’ Street, both of which are key links to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. Now, changes in district shopping centres and local high streets, including, for example, Gosforth High Street,
are being brought forward. Part of the preparations for this will include the removal of street furniture, such as seating, for a short time until it is possible to assess how social distancing is working, before deciding the best locations for seating to be reintroduced. People will also see the floor markings change from being temporary to more permanent in response to how the areas are being used. Grey Street will see additional measures put in place, including the removal of the majority of on-street parking to create more space for people to walk or for businesses to use as they return. Traffic will be re-
Parking operations restart on Tyneside The operation of parking in Newcastle upon Tyne is getting back to normal, with charging, bus lane enforcement and patrols reinstated. To support key workers, Newcastle City Council suspended fees for both on-street parking and using off-street car parks. However, with the government urging those who are unable to work from home to return to work, charges were reintroduced from 18 May. NHS workers, however, can still park for free in Newcastle even though charging has resumed in city council car parks. “NHS staff can, in line with government guidance, park in our other on-street and off-street pay & display bays for free. We continue to encourage healthcare workers to register their car details with us to avoid being issued with a warning or parking ticket.” The council is also providing free parking specifically for critical care workers at the Royal Victoria Infirmary at four car parks. These spaces are being made available on a first come, first served
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basis, with extra patrols by parking enforcement staff ensuring that they are not being misused by non-healthcare workers. Cllr Nick Kemp, cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, said: “As one of the first councils to introduce free parking for key workers we have been proud to support the vital contribution that frontline staff are making to our communities. However, what was initially a three week initiative has now lasted almost two months and cost us around £1m. From the outset we’ve said we would review this temporary measure and, with government lockdown advice beginning to ease, we now feel the time is right to reassess, reintroducing fees for the increasing number of people who may be looking to park, and generating funds to support council services.” During the lockdown parking staff were redeployed to assist with deliveries of food and with traffic management duties around the council’s
stricted to only travelling oneway heading southbound and a protected northbound cycle lane will also be introduced. There are further plans to reallocate road space across many parts of the city centre to give more room for people to walk and cycle, including: • wider pavements and space for cycling across the city centre including on Gallowgate and Queen Victoria Road • pedestrian crossings will be re-set throughout the city centre to give more frequent priority for people using them (this will help to avoid large groups having to gather together while waiting to cross the road).
reopened waste and recycling centres. Many are now returning to patrol and back office duties. Enforcement has recommenced in residential parking areas. In recognition of the lockdown period current permit holders – including those who have resident, visitor, business, charity, landlord, tradesmen or city centre resident permits – will see seven weeks added to their next pass when they come to renew. Enforcement of bus lane restrictions has also recommenced and all penalty charge notices (PCNs) that had been placed on hold during lockdown will be processed and responded to. If someone received a PCN in early March, or their case was at or nearing the debt recovery stage, it will now be dealt with. The council hopes that more people will choose to cycle to work. Around one in 14 people in Newcastle already cycle to work and the council wants to encourage more to use greener travel options. The city centre has parking for more than 1,150 bikes and around 16 km of cycle routes.
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PHOTOS: LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL
NEWS
A vision of Leicester in the future
Leicester draws up post-pandemic routemap Walking, cycling and park & ride have key roles in city council’s transport recovery strategy Leicester City Council has set out how its transport system can best meet the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic and help the city’s economy to recover, as well as securing longer-term environmental benefits. The Leicester COVID-19 Transport Recovery Plan sets out planned actions for the coming months to create space for social distancing and safe travelling throughout the city, ranging from pop-up cycling and walking schemes to bringing forward infrastructure projects. The city council’s recovery plan is based on three key principles: • Safety – adhering to government advice in terms of social distancing, safe design of any changes to streets and creating schemes which tackle transport emissions to protect the health of residents • Sustainability – supporting climate emergency work and helping to create a sustainable local economy • Social equity – providing fair access to all in an inclusive city. The first phase of schemes under the Transport Recovery Plan has included new pop-up cycle tracks in Aylestone Road, Saffron Lane, London Road and Abbey Park Road, with more due to be installed on Hinckley Road/Glenfield Road, and routes linking to business areas of Beaumont Leys, as well as more clearly segregating existing cycle lanes. Pavement-widening is also due to take place to support businesses and shoppers in key local retail areas, with Belgrave Road completed, and Queens Road, Narborough Road, Braunstone Gate and Green Lane planned, to enable shoppers to socially distance safely as businesses gradually reopen with the easing of lockdown restrictions. Work is also being done to prioritise walking
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and cycling in Pocklington’s Walk. The government has announced Leicester will receive £363,000 as the first funding allocation from a £250m budget for Active Travel Emergency Funding, which will be used to finance these schemes. Alongside this work, permanent schemes continue to be developed and installed, including those currently on-site at Belgrave Gate and Lancaster Road, as part of the ongoing Connecting Leicester work, which is also being accelerated. The Transport Recovery Plan also sets out the approach being taken by the council and bus operators to ensure people who have to use public transport can do so safely. Park & ride services from Meynell’s Gorse and Enderby recommenced on 1 June to provide more bus capacity. Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby is a longtime advocate of walking and cycling. Launching the plan, he said: “The coronavirus pandemic has impacted on all aspects of society across the city, changing much of what we take for granted. It has meant we’ve had to look at ways the city, its residents, businesses and its economy can begin to recover. As the city begins to return to some sort of normality, with businesses and schools gradually reopening, the Transport Recovery Plan sets out how we want to help the city move forward in a better way
Deputy mayor Cllr Adam Clarke and Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby
from the unprecedented obstacles we have all faced.” In addition to the council’s pledge to continue its Bike Aid scheme to supply reconditioned and donated bicycles to key workers, the new Leicester Santander Bike Share scheme is set to be launched this summer, allowing people to hire bikes from hubs across the city centre and other key areas. Mayor Soulsby has set the goal of creating a mile of cycling and walking routes every week for the next 10 weeks. The routes will build upon the ongoing Connecting Leicester work to create a cycling and walking network connecting key areas of the city including shopping, business and tourist areas, hospitals, universities and development areas. In Leicester around 40% of urban journeys are under two miles, and by providing additional safe routes the city council wants to encourage as many people as possible to walk and cycle rather than use a car. During the lockdown, traffic in the city – and subsequent nitrogen dioxide emission levels – fell to about 50% of its previous volumes, with bus usage at about 17%. Cycling increased in some outer areas of the city by between 170%, with walking also doubling on some routes. Leicester deputy city mayor for environment and transportation, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “This Transport Recovery Plan outlines vital actions as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Beyond this, it presents an opportunity to turbocharge our work to promote healthy travel choices, support the local economy, combat the climate emergency and improve air quality across the city. We know that the pop-up cycle lanes and pavement widening work we’ve achieved so far have helped many workers, businesses and local communities as the city begins to recover. Going forward we will continue to think creatively about what measures we can bring in to support the city as it recovers, in a way that balances the needs of people’s health, the economy and our environmental commitments.”
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NEWS Social distancing sign
Deansgate
Manchester’s city centre is a calmer place Deansgate partially pedestrianised
venting traffic from accessing, with the exception of time windows for loading and essential access by emergency services. The move is designed to aid the city’s economic recovery by making it easier for people to socially distance while getting to work or visiting local businesses. Manchester City Council’s aspiration is for the change, initially being brought forward on a temporary basis, to become permanent, pending feedback
Social distancing measures are being applied to key streets in Manchester using temporary signs, barriers and pinch points. The temporary pedestrianisation of part of Deansgate came into effect last month, creating a new shared space for pedestrians and people on bikes between Blackfriars Street and King Street West. Removable barriers have been installed, pre-
from local residents, businesses and other parties about the effects of the closure. Elsewhere in Manchester, more than a dozen footway widening schemes are set to be carried out to make more space for people to walk to and from major public transport hubs, around the city centre and in busy district centres. These works will involve the installation of temporary barriers or cones, with bus stops being relocated and parking bays suspended
where required. Schemes have been completed at London Road and Princess Street in the city centre. A footway de-cluttering work programme is also to be completed in the city centre and district centres to further help with social distancing. This work will involve reviewing whether existing signs, bins, benches, bollards and guard-railings and poles can be removed or relocated to increase available space for pedestrians.
York embraces active travel A reduction in traffic and national guidance on social distancing measures has led to an increase in cycling and walking in York, so City of York Council now plans to invest £500,000 in long-term improvements. The council has implemented short-term measures to provide more space for residents to social distance whilst cycling and walking. Measures include: • extending the footway outside shops on Bishopthorpe Road • temporarily keeping the lane closure on Castle Mills Bridge, in order to provide a cycle lane and pedestrian safety • encouraging cyclists to avoid
the busiest shared use paths and use roads if possible • encouraging cyclists and pedestrians to visit iTravel York to download the cycling and walking maps and plan routes • introducing Park & Pedal at the Rawcliffe, Monks Cross or Designer Outlet park & ride sites allowing people to cycle to their destination. The new funding will be used on longer-term schemes to make routes safer by: • resurfacing roads with hazardous potholes for cyclists • improving footways • creating pedestrian crossings • introducing dropped kerbs • creating smart travel options • improving cycling.
Portsmouth closes central roads Portsmouth City Council has closed some roads to traffic in the city centre, with the exception of buses. Central sections of Charlotte Street, Isambard Kingdom Brunel Drive and Guildhall Walk were closed on 22 May. Deliveries and
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collection to residents within the closed roads will be permitted before 8am and after 8pm. The closures will make travel safer for pedestrians and cyclists by providing more space for social distancing, the council said.
Orca Wands are being used as lane separators in Leeds
Leeds supports walking and cycling Leeds City Council has implemented social distancing measures to support cycling and walking in local centres. The works are designed to protect public health across the city as part of the council’s response to COVID-19 and the government lifting some restrictions. The council will temporarily extend pathways to enable social distancing so that people can safely access local shops and centres, or pass by those queuing to enter shops. The measures are being
introduced following consultation with local ward councillors. In addition, new signs have been created to prompt people to keep left when crossing over narrow bridges. The council has also launched an interactive website to share details of planned measures and to enable residents to have their say. This is to improve social distancing and active travel, on main roads, in local neighbourhoods and around schools.
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Swapping parking machines for trees & cleaner air Kensington and Chelsea council hBT reduced JUT carbon emissions whiMF off-setting 70 tonnes of Darbon (tCO2e) with our Meters for Trees programme. To find out how to get involved, please visit: metersfortrees.co.uk
#metersfortrees
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NEWS
London’s Streetspace plan takes shape Government’s bailout of TfL sees road user charges reintroduced Large areas of central London will be closed to cars and vans to allow people to walk and cycle safely under an initiative called Streetspace. The project is designed to encourage walking and cycling as people return to work as lockdown is lifted because physical distancing is impossible on crowded public transport. There are also concerns that a surge in car use would cause gridlock and an increase in air pollution. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that main streets between London Bridge and Shoreditch, Euston and Waterloo, and Old Street and Holborn will be limited to buses, pedestrians and cyclists. Transport for London (TfL) is working with boroughs to implement similar restrictions on the minor roads they manage within the area. Together they will seek to identify places where temporary changes are needed
Park Lane to support social distancing or that would benefit from cycling and walking improvements. To help people walk and cycle wherever possible, the project is concentrating on three key areas:
• quickly building a strategic cycling network, using temporary materials and including new routes, to help reduce crowding on the Tube and trains and on busy bus routes
London Lorry Control scheme reinstated London Councils reintroduced the London Lorry Control Scheme on 1 June. The scheme helps to control the routes the largest lorries use overnight and at weekends to minimise noise disturbance for Londoners. The scheme was suspended on 17 March to enable the delivery of essential food and medical supplies. London Councils said it would work with the freight industry to ensure quiet delivery good practice is observed, so that temporary changes in delivery routes and times lead to as little disruption to residents as possible.
Westminster prepares streets for easing of lockdown
Pavement sign, Westminster Westminster City Council has published its plans to provide new and additional space for cyclists and pedestrians in the heart of the capital to safely support the easing of the lockdown. All areas of Westminster will be covered by activity to encourage people to move safely around the city as the lockdown restrictions are lifted. The council has been working to develop these important temporary proposals in conjunction with local groups, residents and
14 | JUNE 2020 | PARKING REVIEW
businesses. Work will start this weekend on the installation of low cost, temporary measures across all areas of the city. The project will see new widened pavements, increased pedestrian areas and cycle lanes in some of the most iconic locations in the world. Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly will, from this weekend, see measures to widen pavements, change traffic lanes into pedestrian walkways, install signage and guidance on social distancing, as well as establishing pop-up cycle lanes.
Busy transport hubs such as Paddington and Marylebone stations will see social distancing measures introduced to ensure people can feel safe travelling into the area. Other measures include: • ‘School Streets’ introduced across the city where cars are banned from roads surrounding playgrounds for short periods of time during the day to reduce traffic and pollution • improvements around major railway stations such as Victoria and Charing Cross • signage and guidance in markets to encourage social distancing as they fully reopen from 1 June 2020 • more cycle racks and better links to the existing cycle networks • a new range of street signage will be introduced which highlights the need for social distancing in public areas • a new ‘Shop Local’ campaign and interactive web map is encouraging people to think local when purchasing.
• changing town centres so local journeys can be safely walked and cycled where possible, for example with wider pavements on high streets to give space for queues outside shops as people safely walk past while socially distancing • reducing traffic on residential streets, creating low-traffic corridors right across London so more people can walk and cycle as part of their daily routine. In parallel, road user charges suspended on 23 March will be reinstated under the terms of a £1.6bn bailout of TfL. The Congestion Charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Low Emission Zone (LEZ) were all suspended on 23 March to help key workers get around as easily as possible during the coronavirus crisis. TfL secured the emergency funding to keep Tube and bus services going until September. It has secured a £1.01bn grant from the Department for Transport, as well as incremental borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board of £505m. The deal runs until October 2020.
Cars banished from Square Mile streets The City of London Corporation is banning cars from the busiest roads within the Square Mile in order to manage the return of commuters as the coronavirus lockdown is eased. The transport response has been designed to support City businesses and ensure residents, workers and visitors feel safe when travelling, particularly when travelling on foot, by bike and on public transport. The corporation proposes 12hour and 24-hour closures for cars on its main artery routes to widen pavements for walking and bike lanes, as well as to allow safe queuing for shops and cafés in the City’s narrow streets. Further measures include markings, signage and campaigns to facilitate queuing, promote social distancing and encourage considerate behaviour. The corporation will also be setting an advisory 15mph speed limit. There will also be a temporary reallocation of some on-street parking bays to cycle parking and dockless cycle hire.
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NEWS
Greenwich widens pavements The Royal Borough of Greenwich is undertaking a range of temporary measures to enhance social distancing for pedestrians and cyclists across the town centres of Greenwich, Eltham and Woolwich. The measures will be essential to limit the spread of the virus in south-east London, but also to give residents the confidence to use local amenities and support local businesses once again. The Royal Borough’s works so far include: • widening footpaths in town centres and around Greenwich Park • filtering more residential streets to reduce through traffic but maintain access for cyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles • creating more School Streets • bringing forward plans for the Greenwich to Woolwich cycle route. The Royal Borough will work with the Mayor of London’s Streetspace plan, which aims to transform London’s streets to accommodate a potential ten-
Greenwich town centre fold increase in cycling and fivefold increase in walking as lockdown restrictions are eased. While it awaits details of funding via Streetspace, the Royal Borough has formed a Streetspace Taskforce to identify, develop and implement measures that can be put in place quickly and to develop proposals to Transport for London (TfL). The council said it is focussing on areas it expects to be the busiest, such as town centres, high streets and roads
around green spaces. Greenwich town centre has been prioritised because of its narrow footways. In the shortterm, temporary barriers have been used to widen the footways around the gyratory. The Royal Borough has been working with TfL on the Greenwich Town Centre Liveable Neighbourhood since 2017. In 2019, public engagement showed 76% of people support the removal of the gyratory to create more space for walking and cycling.
Wandsworth sets out social distancing plan Wandsworth Council has set out measures designed to support social distancing on roads and pavements. Projects include the closure of some roads, widening of pavements and introduction of one-way walking systems, improvements to cycling routes and fast tracking School Streets. Transport spokesman Cllr Paul Ellis said: “We are fully committed to doing what we can in an imaginative and effective way to encourage people to adopt new forms of travel and supporting them to do so in the safest possible way. It’s action like this which will help us meet the far-reaching environmental targets we set last year to dramatically lower our carbon emissions to make us inner London’s greenest borough. “We would like to see a 20mph speed limit introduced without delay by Transport for London on all the borough’s major Red Route trunk roads like the Wandsworth one-way system, Balham High Road, West Hill, Tooting High Street, Trinity Road and Battersea Park Road.”
Welcoming and walkable streets
Did you know? King Street, Hammersmith Streets across the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham are being temporarily adapted to make social distancing easier, walking and cycling safer, and to support businesses during the COVID19 crisis. Pavements will be widened, and new segregated cycling lanes will be installed on key routes across Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush and White City to make it safer for those travelling to work by bike. Proposals to transform the public realm with neighbourhood road closures, and pop-up planters and allotments are also being drawn up. The council said
these measures would help improve air quality. “We’re asking people to practise social distancing to stop the contagion and save lives but in many cases our pavements simply are not wide enough,” said Cllr Wesley Harcourt, cabinet member for Environment. “The risk is that as some people return to work they will understandably keep away from public transport, leaving us with more cars, more congestion, and more pollution, but far fewer people actually commuting. That isn’t sustainable, so we’re working to give everyone in this difficult time safe alternatives such as cycling.”
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NEWS
Doncaster pedestrianises central streets Town centre visitors will be encouraged to walk and cycle Doncaster Council has made changes to the town centre that it hopes will help people follow guidance on social distancing and other public safety measures. Most of Doncaster town centre is still not open and the council is asking people not to visit unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. Where people have to visit, the council is asking them to follow the 2-metre social distancing guidance. Face coverings are also being recommended if people anticipate going into an enclosed public space. Buses and trains are available, but in view of social distancing requirements, people are being advised to walk, cycle or use their cars. The council has pedestrianised the core parts of the town centre between 10.30am and 4pm, seven days a week. Delivery vehicles will have access outside these times and emergency vehicles will have access at all times. Street signage has been erected to highlight safety messages like social distancing. New signs will be introduced including asking people to keep left on dedicated pedestrian routes. “We plan to create pedestrian routes by asking people to use the left hand side of the busy
streets and the main parts of the town centre will become pedestrian friendly with traffic restrictions in place,” said the council. “We will also have town centre ambassadors out and
Warning signs posted in Cumbria
A resident’s sign Residents near Cumbrian beauty spots have been setting up makeshift barriers and road signs in a bid to ward off tourists they fear are flouting social distancing laws. Visitors flocked to the Lake District after weeks of lockdown measures were partially eased, but concerned local villagers have responded
by erecting plastic fences and industrial waste bins across roads. DIY signs reading “please stay away” and “no entry” have also become a common sight around villages The Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria Police and Cumbria County Council all reported an increase in the number of people travelling to
about to help and advise people. These changes will start happening shortly ready for when we can encourage people back into the town centre.” The pedestrian routes will be and around the National Park over the May Bank Holidays. The Lake District National Park’s chief executive Richard Leafe said: “Please don’t travel for the moment to the Lake District because of the impact that you will have on the local communities here. Cumbria already has a fairly high incidence of COVID-19, so there is real concern on the ground about large amounts of people coming back.” Cumbria’s director of public health, Colin Cox, said: “Since the start of March nearly 300 local people have tragically died from COVID-19, with many still in hospital receiving treatment, and people continue to die both in hospital and in the community. It is only because people have behaved responsibly and followed the guidance that there have not been many more deaths or people infected.”
similar to what supermarkets have introduced to help people move around while keeping a safe distance from other people, said the council. Businesses will be implementing their own arrangements for protecting their staff and customers. Town centre ambassadors will be out and about to help and advise people, while police officers will look to ensure people are observing the safe distancing rules and not gathering in groups. Doncaster Council owned car parks (except the Colonnades car park) are open, but access may be required via a different route. The council has increased cleansing at its car parks, but users are encouraged to make card payments if they can and observe social distancing when parking up and paying. Taxis can access the town centre but will have to observe the changes and the traffic restrictions. Emergency vehicles will have access into all parts of the town centre at all times. People can cycle to the town centre and park bikes at dedicated cycle parks/bays but cannot cycle through the town centre as that is a risk to pedestrians. Businesses will need to organise their deliveries before 10.30am and after 4pm. Business Doncaster will be supporting businesses with the changes.
Red Routes created for Essex roads Red Route controls have been introduced on two roads in Essex to address on-street parking issues during the pandemic. The first Red Route in Epping Forest s designed to improve visitor safety and prevent the obstruction of local roads by problematic parking, to reinforce the byelaw of local verges and release police resources that were required to manage the situation. The restrictions were requested by a partnership of Essex County Council, Epping Forest District Council, Essex Police and the City of London Corporation Epping Forest. The Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders have implemented by the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP). The second Red Route in Ardleigh was requested by Tendring Council.
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NEWS
Edinburgh to create Places for Everyone Scottish Government allocates capital £5m in emergency funding Edinburgh is to receive £5m in Scottish Government funding to support the creation of safe, accessible routes for walking, cycling and wheeling as lockdown restrictions are lifted. The Scottish capital is receiving half of the original £10m the government had allocated for the Places for Everyone fund, which will back local authority road space improvements like temporary pavement widening, pop-up segregated cycle lanes and pedestrianised streets. Since the Places for Everyone competition was launched, the funding pot has been trebled by the cabinet secretary for transport, Michael Matheson, to £30m. Last month City of Edinburgh Council published a package of
Places for Everyone: City of Edinburgh has been posting signs with social distancing advice in parks and along popular cycling and walking routes suggested measures to make it easier and safer for people to travel by foot, bike or wheelchair while maintaining physical distancing. The council said it has received many suggestions for road closures, widened pavements, segregated cycle lanes and other possible actions from across the city and they are all helping to shape its efforts over
Glasgow’s one-way cycle lane Glasgow’s new Clydeside popup cycle lane has been completed and is now ready for use. Work on the ground started on 12 May. The new lane, which runs for 1.5 miles between Saltmarket and the Clyde Arc, is part of City of Glasgow’s effort to provide public space for physical distancing during the on-going coronavirus crisis. The new lane is designed to ease pressure on the shared
space Clyde Walkway, which has a number of pinch points and has remained a place for exercise and active travel during lockdown. Intended for westbound travel only, the lane also utilises a stretch of the Fastlink bus lane and will also offer a temporary solution to the closure of the walkway at Lancefield Quay following the fire there in December last year.
the next weeks and months. A programme of changes is already underway across the city. There have been road closures in Silverknowes, Greenbank, Cammo and Leith prompting strolling, cycling and family exercise. The latest funding boost means further improvements can be made at no extra cost to
council budgets. Transport and environment convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes said: “We are building a sustainable future for the capital as we emerge from this crisis, as our Adaptation and Renewal programme demonstrates, and setting an example through our approach to transport. “There’s been a step-change in the way people move around the city, with a surge in walking and cycling, and our proposed measures will harness this enthusiasm long term. Facilitating active travel and public transport use is essential if we are to limit the negative impacts of congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions as we return to a ‘new normal’.” The funding will enable the city council to build on cycling and walking improvements already undertaken in areas like Silverknowes and Greenbank.
Social distancing in Dundee Three projects developed by Dundee City Council that support active travel and enable social distancing during the pandemic have been approved by Sustrans Scotland. Financial backing will be provided for: 20mph zones in central Broughty Ferry, the Perth Road area, Douglas and Fintry; the closure of Union Street to vehicular traffic; and temporary measures to reduce through traffic in areas where
there are higher levels of pedestrian and cycling activity. More than £450,000 has been made available to Dundee City Council through the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People Fund, which is administered by Sustrans Scotland. Spaces for People offers support to make it safer for people who choose to walk or cycle for commuting, essential trips and exercise.
Vehicle dwellers can self-isolate in Bristol Two temporary sites have been set up to allow vehicle dwellers to safely self-isolate in Bristol during the coronavirus pandemic. While many vehicle dwellers are safely self-isolating in their normal locations, others have found it more difficult to access necessities such as water, showers and waste facilities. Gyms, friends’ houses and work places are not currently an option due to restrictions around coronavirus. The sites were set up by community-led social enterprise Bristol Vehicles for Change and Bristol City Council at Sea Mills and Hengrove. The sites offer people access to a safe living space during the outbreak and access to vital facilities. Each of the new sites offers 25 safely distanced pitches. Both are equipped with temporary toilets, showers, access to clean drinking water and waste disposal facilities.
One of the self-isolating sites Cllr Paul Smith, cabinet member for housing, said: “At a time of crisis, it’s important that we don’t leave pockets of communities behind. Just a few weeks after the introduction of movement restrictions, we opened two temporary sites for our vehicle dwelling community. “The development of the temporary sites for vehicle dwellers would not have been so successful without the involvement of Bristol Vehicles for Change. The team have worked with the city to develop site license conditions, promote access to the site
through their community networks and have helped to co-manage the facilities with our staff.” A spokesperson for Bristol Vehicles for Change said: “This collaboration has allowed sites to be set up rapidly and then co-managed effectively in a time of crisis. A community-led approach has been adopted when developing site rules and plans via community feedback. A high degree of self-organisation has taken place on-site, within the parameters of essential COVID-19 guidelines and other legislation.”
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NEWS
POPLA hears 2,500 NI and Scottish appeals Independent appeals service expands beyond England and Wales An independent service enabling motorists in Scotland to challenge parking tickets received more than 2,000 appeals in its first year – leading to 700 charges being cancelled. POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals) has revealed that, in the 12 months following its launch in Scotland on 1 May 2019, a total of 2,155 appeals were submitted online at www.popla.co.uk. Of the 1,959 Scotland cases completed by POPLA, 703 (36%) resulted in the parking charge being cancelled – either through the appeal being allowed or the parking operator deciding not to contest the appeal. Meanwhile, a total of 570 appeals were submitted online by motorists in Northern Ireland over the same period. Of the 517 Northern Ireland cases completed by POPLA, 215 (42%) resulted in the parking charge being cancelled. Motorists can take their case to POPLA when a parking op-
John Gallagher erator that belongs to the British Parking Association (BPA) rejects a parking charge notice (PCN) appeal. The motorist is given a 10-digit verification code by the parking operator, enabling them to submit an appeal through the POPLA website. John Gallagher, lead adjudicator at POPLA, said: “We think it’s a huge positive that mo-
torists in Scotland and Northern Ireland now have access to a free, independent and impartial parking appeals service. “We would urge anyone who feels they have a strong case to appeal to us. We would also recommend that they provide as much information and evidence as possible to help their case. If you are unhappy with a PCN you should appeal to the park-
Suffolk councils take over parking enforcement Decriminalisation sees boroughs and districts tackle nuisance parking in towns and village Councils in Suffolk have worked together to keep roads safe for emergency vehicles and key workers, in readiness for the move of statutory parking enforcement powers. Decriminalised parking has been in operation in Ipswich since 2005, but it has been a police responsibility across the rest of the county. However, parking has become a lower priority for them, so Suffolk County Council is transferring this responsibility to local district and borough councils under a process known as civil parking enforcement (CPE). East Suffolk, Ipswich Borough and West Suffolk Councils will carry out civil parking enforcement in their own areas. Within Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils these services will be provided by West Suffolk and Ipswich Borough Council. District and borough councils already manage public car parks in many towns and villages. Suffolk Constabulary has been supportive of the move because the transfer of responsibilities frees their time to concentrate on other areas of police demand, to help keep people safe, prevent
crime and bring offenders to justice. Decriminalisation of parking will help free up police resources that were carrying out enforcement duties. Police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore said: “I am absolutely delighted to see civil parking enforcement launched across the whole county. It’s taken a while to get here so it’s great to see parking enforcement handed over to councils at last. The council-run parking teams will, without doubt, provide more effective parking enforcement than the police because it will be their main focus.” In light of the current COVID-19 situation, the council said they will be taking a common-sense view and focussing on tackling obstructive and dangerous parking to ensure emergency, care, delivery, refuse and highways services can get around safely at this challenging time. As part of the national response to the pandemic, advice from the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association is that parking enforcement is an important public service that keeps roads safe and ensures access to goods and services. Cllr Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for highways, transport and rural affairs, said: “I am pleased that we have reached a consistent county-wide approach in how parking is
ing operator in the first instance. If the operator rejects your appeal, you can then use our service.” POPLA was introduced by the BPA in England and Wales in 2012. The scheme expanded into Scotland and Northern Ireland last May. Since 2015, the POPLA scheme has been run by Ombudsman Services, a not-forprofit organisation that operates in other sectors including energy and telecoms. Steve Clark, head of business operations at the BPA, said: “Since its introduction in 2012, POPLA has allowed independent redress for thousands of motorists who receive parking tickets on private land where they feel they have been treated unfairly. “We are delighted with the progress of POPLA in Scotland and Northern Ireland, allowing motorists there the opportunity to have their cases independently considered.’’ Due to coronavirus, POPLA is currently putting new appeals on hold and giving motorists across the UK extra time to submit their case. www.popla.co.uk
managed during the coming weeks and months. I very much welcome the crosscouncil collaborative working in order to deliver better parking for Suffolk. Our colleagues will continue working together to ensure CPE is successfully launched and I look forward to seeing the benefits locally that these changes will bring, now and in the near future. “Despite the unprecedented challenges we are experiencing currently, there are certain projects that continue in the background, and the move of statutory parking enforcement from the police to districts and boroughs is no exception. “Although this move must take place now, it is extremely important that we are pragmatic in our approach to parking management and enforcement at this time. This builds on the continuing county-wide efforts to tackle the challenges and impacts of COVID-19, with our priority fixed on keeping roads open and safe and to protect parking spaces for healthcare workers, volunteers and people supporting the most vulnerable. That is why it is vital that we focus our resource on tackling dangerous and obstructive parking that could hinder key services from carrying out their duties.” The coronavirus pandemic means there has been a focus on dangerous and obstructive parking on key routes and roads used by emergency services.
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Safer routes to school
Helen Bonner considers the travel implications of the partial reopening of schools
T
he UK government announced that primary schools could start to reopen (to limited year groups) from 1 June and anticipates that all primary year groups can return a month before the summer holidays start. For some time, schools will have been planning how they can reopen safely to pupils – setting out classrooms to ensure children can socially distance, carefully managing playtimes to reduce the opportunity for pupils to congregate, and staggering lunchtimes to allow children to safely sit apart. But what about the possible implications and impacts of schools reopening on travel to school? Public policy over many years has focussed on encouraging sustainable and active travel to school – encouraging walking, scooting and cycling to address inactivity and child obesity issues, help tackle poor air quality around schools, and address congestion and associated safety issues at the school gate. Surveys during the lockdown hint at people’s unwillingness to return to public transport because of concerns about crowding and the difficulty of achieving social distancing; indeed, the government is now advising people to avoid using public transport. One concern is that if parents start to drive to work this could lead to an increase in car use for the journey to school as they drop off their children on the way. The impact of this on schools will be huge – with additional congestion around schools and associated negative impacts on safety and air quality. Pre-COVID, school run traffic typically accounted for one-fifth of peak time vehicles
on the road; with more people driving to work as the lockdown eases it will be even more important to remove short, local school travel journeys from the network. Schools will need to: • Advise parents on safe routes for walking and cycling to school, possibly proactively managing walking and cycling onto specific routes to spread demand and help support social distancing. • Increase the space available at school gates for people arriving on foot and by bike, and perhaps introduce new ‘in’ and ‘out’ gates to help parents keep their distance.
One concern is that if parents start to drive to work this could lead to an increase in car use Helen Bonner
• Introduce staggered school start/finish times to help spread numbers at school drop-off and pick-up, perhaps giving parents a specific timed start and actively discouraging any lingering. • Have sufficient space at school site to store pupils’ bikes safely. Local authorities have an important role in: • Helping with back to school travel planning and liaising across schools to agree staggered school start/finish times to help manage travel demand across the wider network.
• Quickly introducing practical infrastructure measures around and on routes to schools to create safe space for walking and cycling to school – widening pavements, creating ‘school streets’ where traffic is restricted, safeguarding existing (or designating new) cycle routes. • Ensuring that these new measures can support walking and cycling over the longer term. • Supporting coordinated efforts on school bus services as operators deal with social distancing requirements and schools seek to stagger start and finish times. Families are walking and cycling together more, encouraged by much quieter roads (retailers have reported significant increases in bike purchases and there has been a boost in the take up of cycle to work schemes). More people than ever before are working from home and will be discovering the additional time that this creates in their working day. These things could mean that parents are more willing and able to cycle or walk to school with their children. Walking and cycling to school is not issuefree and it won’t just happen by itself – parents are looking to schools for reassurance that back to school plans have been properly thought through and want straightforward guidance about what to do and how to do it safely. Schools and local authorities will need to work together to help guide parents and pupils to make good, safe travel choices. Helen Bonner is principal consultant at Steer. She specialises in travel behaviour change, working to promote walking, cycling and public transport use. She has worked with schools and authorities across the UK to promote active travel to school, review and plan school bus services, and help embed cycle training programmes. helen.bonner@steergroup.com
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LIVING STREETS
SCHOOL RUN
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COVID-19
Almost all road traffic melted away overnight
What have we learnt? Paul Campion looks at lessons learnt from the changes in transport use over the last couple of months and how they can inform future strategies
L
et us not get confused: the coronavirus pandemic is above all a human tragedy and our hearts go out to all those who have lost loved ones, and to those putting themselves at risk to save others. Precisely because of this huge cost, it is vital that we learn as many lessons as we can. One of the things that makes it hard to think about how transport can change for the better, is that everything is hypothetical: it is usually impossible to experiment at scale. But here is a massive disruption to ‘business as usual’ that has, suddenly and dramatically, changed how we have been operating; a natural experiment, if you like. Almost overnight road traffic melted away, trains stopped running, planes stopped flying, buses emptied, people stayed at home. What did we learn? We have learnt that we are not alone. We (well some of us) have learnt how to work from home. We have learnt what the roads are like without traffic, and found that this brings benefits. Some people have learnt that the law still applies even though the roads are quiet and the car parks empty. But now comes the hard part. Knowledge is not action. Take a potato around the world and it comes back a starchy tuber, not an expert in geography. The big question arising from this natural experiment is: What are we going to do about what we have learnt? This is not just an academic question. Climate change, unless mitigated, will make the havoc wrought by COVID-19 look like a (regulated, once-a-day) walk in the park. We have an unnegotiable
24 | JUNE 2020 | PARKING REVIEW
imperative to decarbonise transport. Unless we can find ways to do so without requiring everyone to massively lower their quality of life, we will find it even harder to implement than it already looks. Well, things are happening. In Brussels and Milan, the opportunity is being grasped to significantly extend infrastructure for cycling and active travel while the streets are quiet. On 9 May, the UK government announced a £2bn fund to encourage cycling with a range of measures including some small restrictions on motorised traffic to encourage travelling by foot and cycle to school in England. The updated statutory guidance for local authorities starts with a preface in which the following appears: “We recognise this moment for what it is: a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a lasting, transformative change in how we make short journeys in our towns and cities.” These are great steps, and hopefully the first of many. It is encouraging to see a practical response to the realisation that quiet streets in towns and cities, clean air, and the ability for families to walk and cycle together in safety, are possible after all. But perhaps there are other, deeper things we should learn. A discussion about the future of transport is usually based on a set of shared assumptions about what is possible, what is desirable, and what is acceptable. It is the analogy, I suppose, of the famous ‘Overton window’ in politics. Of course, there are real limits to what is possible: for example, infrastructure is obstinately, well, concrete, and even unlimited will and money could not transform it overnight. Surely, though, the bigger unspoken limits on our ambitions are the unchangeable habits and preferences of people; the travellers and consumers of goods and services. What this huge, tragic, experiment has taught us, is that habits and preferences can change overnight, if the circumstances are right. No-one expects that people will willingly return to shared transport, for example, although we might see less resistance to
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COVID-19 taking a plane on holiday than to taking the bus to work (even though, objectively, the risks are likely to be similar). Perhaps one thing we can learn from this time, is that the stories we tell ourselves about why we do the things we do, have turned out to have only a loose relationship to reality in some cases. For instance, office workers, who have long explained that working from the office is more productive, have mostly found that it is precisely the things that make it less productive, (the chatting at the coffee machine, lunch in the canteen with colleagues, stopping by someone’s desk to swap gossip or talk about football) are the things they really miss. They have found that work can often be done at least as well remotely, and the discipline of back-to-back videocalls has many of us working harder, or at least more intensely. This is not to say that going to the office is bad, just that the story needs to change. We used to tell ourselves that leisure and shopping require us to get in the car. Shopping has, with some crashing of gears, mostly transferred online, or to well-disciplined and planned trips to bulk-buy. Restrictions on travelling for leisure has (after the inability to work for those unfortunate enough to be unable to work from home), probably been the thing that people have found hardest about lockdown: no football (school team, or premier league), no pub or restaurant, no Easter holiday by the sea. Everyone will be very keen to get back to ‘normal’, but a key lesson from this crisis is that we will not be able to tell ourselves any more that there are no alternatives, or that there are not costs associated with our choices. Let us beware of the biggest, most misleading story of all: that there can only be one answer and that an average is the same as an optimum. A better world doesn’t always require everyone to change everything. The difference between a stop/start, misery commute and a free-flowing road can be as little as 10% of traffic. Safer, cleaner streets may only involve small inconveniences to those in cars to give priority to walkers and cyclists. E-bikes can flatten hills and, oddly, tend to make users more active, not less. During recent weeks we have learnt that many people cannot work from home and that many of the jobs (and the people doing them) that really matter to our lives, are not the glamorous well-paid jobs that have, in the past, gained all the headlines. We have also learnt that relatively small changes in the habits of those who can work from home (often the better-off anyway) can make big differences to those who have no choice but to travel every day, and whose contribution to society is bigger than we have been telling ourselves, up to now. So let us learn this: we can think of new, and maybe better futures for transport that truly benefit our societies and help prevent a climate disaster. We have the chance to tell ourselves new stories, and new stories can lead to very different outcome.
Alternative routes
‘Pop-Up’ active transport routes are needed for a safe social distancing landscape
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ith the decrease in motorised traffic across the UK, alternative modes of transport have never seemed more appealing. People working from home now have no need for their polluted commute and instead are turning to more active forms of transport to get household essentials and exercise. However, to accommodate for this upsurge in walking and cycling, TRL is calling upon authorities to ensure the safety of alternative methods of transport is prioritised and follow social distancing rules. Governments have already found a clear-correlation between airquality and the level of deaths from COVID-19, leading to transport policies designed to remove polluting vehicles from roads and the promotion of active travel, says TRL. While active travel could benefit commuters both physically and mentally, there is concern that the current infrastructure for cycling and walking is not fit for purpose. Pathways are currently too thin and overpopulated, which could not only deter the uptake of these modes of transport, but put people at risk of each other in a time of social distancing. TRL is thus asking authorities to reconfigure streets and pathways to prioritise safe active travel. Similar precautions have been seen across Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow who have begun re-visualising their infrastructure, but the same is needed across the UK if we are to overcome COVID-19 and encourage a greener commuting initiative. In a challenging time with a lot of uncertainties, TRL is well positioned to help local authorities explore the idea of ‘pop-up’ walking and cycling facilities on their road-networks by providing evidence-based strategies to optimise their implementation safely and ensure a safer future of active travel.
What this huge, tragic, experiment has taught us is that habits and preferences can change overnight Paul Campion
Paul Campion is chief executive of TRL trl.co.uk
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A SUGGESTED STREET TYPOLOGY TO REFLECT NEW MOVEMENT PRIORITIES (DESIGN PRODUCED BY SASKIA HUIZINGA)
STREET DESIGN
Transforming streets Robert Huxford says that councils have to implement a ‘transformative change’ of urban streets on a very tight timescale Streets in towns and cities across the UK are being transformed as local authorities seek assist the social distancing of people by making more space for walking and cycling via the widening of pavements, closure of roads to through-traffic, and the installation of ‘pop-up’ segregated cycle lanes. The Department for Transport (DfT) has endorsed this approach by allocating £250m to help local authorities in England. Transport secretary Grant Shapps spelled out the benefits of active travel, including health, reduced air pollution and carbon emissions and local economic benefit when announcing the funding on 9 May. Shapps said he wanted councils to deliver “transformative change” to their urban streets within an urgent timeframe. The funds will be released in two phases: The first tranche of £45m will be released as soon as possible so that work can begin at pace on making space for physically distancing and walking, widening pavements, closing roads to through traffic and installing segregated cycle lanes. A Local Transport Today (LTT) webinar held on 22 May saw Robert Huxford, director of the Urban Design Group, explore how highway and traffic authorities that have not taken measures to deliver the “transformative change” within the timeframe spelt out by the transport minister could be in breach of new statutory guidance.
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“We recognise this moment for what it is: a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a lasting transformative change in how we make short journeys in our towns and cities.” Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, 9 May 2020
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his is Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps’ message in the foreword to the statutory guidance on network management in response to COVID-19. He then goes on to mention the benefits of active travel, including health, reduced air pollution and carbon emissions and local economic benefit. To anyone who has campaigned for these sorts of measures, these words will be welcomed wholeheartedly; but are they just that, words? In law, Statutory Guidance is a type of guidance that councils must follow unless they have a very good reason not to. It is not something that can be noted and then ignored. A council may deviate from statutory guidance where it judges on admissible grounds that there is good reason to do so, but they do not have the freedom to take a substantially different course. The Statutory Guidance is issued under Section 18 of the Traffic Management Act, and relates to the discharge of the Section 16 Network Management Duty. Implicit in this duty is a whole-network approach, and not piecemeal measures. The Statutory Guidance specifically calls for “whole-route” approaches to create corridors for buses, cycles and access only on key routes into town and city centres. The measures listed under the Statutory Guidance are all the things that one would expect, such as installing ‘pop-up’ cycle facilities, widening footways, pedestrian crossings and refuges,
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STREET DESIGN encouraging walking and cycling to school using ‘school streets’, widening existing cycle lanes to maintain social distancing and reducing speed limits. The Statutory Guidance “expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians” and that “measures should be taken as swiftly as possible, and in any event within weeks, given the urgent need to change travel habits before the restart takes full effect”. That is weeks, not months. There is also a raft of existing statutory duties that impel action: duties under the Highways Act 1980, Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, Road Traffic Act 1988, as well as the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. The Statutory Guidance was issued on 9 May: “weeks” becomes months on 9 July. Highway and traffic authorities that have not taken measures by then will be in breach of the Statutory Guidance. But the big question is whether local authorities have the resources to respond in time with the extensive network approach required? The annual funding for local councils in England is nearly £12bn less than it was a decade ago. Spending on highways and transport services (including public transport subsidies) is down by 42% over that period, from around £146 per head in 2009-10 to £86 per head in 2019-20, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Skilled staff have been lost, and now, with staff in lockdown and some reallocated to other COVID-19 emergency tasks, the size of the challenge cannot be understated. The reality is that light, cheap and quick solutions within a coherent network plan will be required if local councils are to secure the street space required necessary to “change travel habits before the restart takes full effect”. Progressive councils are introducing the measures under their own considerable statutory powers, making experimental traffic orders where necessary. Many are able in theory to accelerate the plans that they were working on prior to the pandemic, but these may be in a minority. Councils need as much help as possible. Rather than each trying to find its own way, it would make sense if there were detailed guidance on what to do and where. There are highway, public realm and urban design practitioners who are in a position to provide their expertise. Saskia Huizinga, a public realm specialist, has been developing a simple street typology that could be very quickly applied to generate a network system of safe shopping streets, strategic public transport and cycling routes, as well as a local network for walking and cycling to enable safe travel to schools, shops and surgeries. David McKenna has developed principles for the Landscape Institute, along with advice on temporary measures and the importance of avoiding unsympathetic designs that could actually increase danger. Councils already have street classification systems, not only the network classification that drivers recognise, but also systems for prioritising highways maintenance, winter maintenance, and even litter collection which classifies streets as high, medium and low intensity of use, and of course there is Transport for London’s nine street type system. There is no need to start with a blank sheet of paper. The layout of most urban areas falls into three basic types: radial, grid and linear. It should be possible to produce guidance for standard situations based on the intended function of each street and its physical dimensions. Ever since the 18th century there has been a standard range of footway, carriageway and highway widths. If the “within weeks” requirement of the Statutory Guidance is to be met, then local government needs detailed guidance within days. A coalition of expert practitioners, professional institutions and interest groups, along with central and local government, could be the answer. After the crisis, it is to the long-term that we must turn our thoughts. Most councils have declared climate emergencies. The Statutory Guidance provides the authority to turn these words into deeds. Temporary measures can make way for permanent improvements, and I estimate that it would take £20bn to permanently transform the quality of life for people who live in the UK’s urban areas with high specification low traffic neighbourhoods, and quality cycle routes. Robert Huxford is director of the Urban Design Group robert.huxford@udg.org.uk
Help is at hand Experts offer to help local authorities create roadspace reallocation guide An offer of quick and easy-to-use technical support for local authorities charged with recasting urban streetspace to meet new Statutory Guidance in the light of COVID-19 has been sent to transport secretary Grant Shapps by a group of professional representatives co-ordinated by Urban Design Group (UDG) director Robert Huxford. The letter to the transport secretary, which has also been copied to the Prime Minister’s transport adviser at 10 Downing Street, Andrew Gilligan, has been signed by a number of leading experts, including the chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ municipal expert panel, the head of Urban Design London, the president of the International Federation of Municipal Engineers and over a dozen leading traffic and urban design experts.
Open letter to the Secretary of State for Transport... Dear Mr Shapps, As professionals in this field, we are keen to support your objectives to reallocate road space and achieve modal shift in urban areas in response to the COVID-19 situation and would like to make a proposal to support local authorities in this endeavour. We welcome the publication of the Statutory Guidance on network management in response to COVID-19, and your assessment that this is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a lasting transformative change in how we make short journeys in our towns and cities, to improve wellbeing, and address the problems of congestion, poor air quality and carbon emissions. We note that the Statutory Guidance calls for measures to be taken within weeks. We are concerned however that many highway authorities will not be in a position to respond owing to staff shortages, and the enormity of the task. To aid the implementation of the requirements, we urge the Department for Transport (DfT) to support the creation of a partnership between professionals, professional organisations and local government to produce urgent detailed technical guidance that all can benefit from. Highway authorities are confronting common scenarios, and rather than each attempting to generate its own detailed design solutions, effort, time and costs will undoubtedly be saved by the production of detailed guidance in common. A number of pioneering authorities have already developed rational and robust approaches to network planning and detailed measures in specific types of streets, and these could very beneficially be shared and built upon. There are many professionals like us – engineers, urban designers, transport planners, landscape architects and more besides – who would gladly help in the production of guidance, as well as supporting local authorities in implementation, including many professionals who are currently furloughed. The Statutory Guidance requires measures within weeks rather than months. To achieve this requires the provision of practical detailed guidance and support within days rather than weeks. As professionals working to a common purpose, we urge the DfT to support and aid us in the sharing of this necessary expertise, and would be delighted to work with your officials to this end. We look forward to hearing from you and are ready, willing and indeed already working on the material that we are proposing you support. Co-signatories include: Kenneth Aitken, Chair, Institution of Civil Engineers Municipal Expert Panel John Dales, Director, Urban Movement Colin Davis, Public Realm Information and Advice Network Phil Goodwin, Emeritus Professor of Transport Policy, UCL & UWE Leo Hammond, Chair, Urban Design Group Robert Huxford, Director, Urban Design Group Sue James, Trees and Design Action Group Esther Kurland, Urban Design London Richard Lewis, Founder, ActivePlanning Chris Martin, Trustee, Living Streets Lucy Marstrand-Taussig, Associate Member, APPG for Cycling & Walking John Thomson, President, International Federation of Municipal Engineers
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MCGREGOR COXALL
STREET DESIGN McGregor Coxall’s reimagining of Westminster Bridge (not to scale)
Planning the road ahead The Urban Design Group has published a ‘How to Guide’ for pop-up schemes
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ith furloughed people who cannot work from home being encouraged to return to their workplaces, but without using public transport, and restrictions on amount of exercise being lifted, streets and urban spaces will be put under immediate pressure. This has led local authorities to rapidly introduce traffic-free periods in city centres and neighbourhoods; create low traffic neighbourhoods; undertake pavement extensions at pinch points or busy areas; and create temporary or ‘pop-up’ cycle routes. The Urban Design Group has published a practical guide to implementing fast-track changes to street design using measures that can be undertaken within the powers of a local authority and without the need for lengthy bureaucracy. The group says that its ‘How to Guide’ will help local authorities provide more space for work, movement, children and promoting wellbeing. The guide outlines the duties local authorities have to secure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, and the actions that can be quickly taken to provide that safety and without timewasting and expensive bureaucracy. Robert Huxford, director of Urban Design Group, said: “Local authorities are under a duty to use the functions conferred upon them in the Road Traffic Regulation Act to secure the safe movement of the public. They also have duties to both careful and negligent road users, and children, elderly and disabled people. They don’t need to be afraid of using the powers they have to create safer streets. Local authorities have a massive challenge ahead, and little resource to meet it, but the changes made now will help to avert the dangers that lie beyond the present crisis: air pollution, poor physical and mental health from sedentary lifestyles, and climate change.” Founded in 1978, the Urban Design Group (UDG) is a campaigning membership organisation with over 1,000 members who care about the quality of life in cities, towns and villages. www.udg.org.uk
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An urban space programme • Space for movement: Social distancing means that public transport systems will be running at as little as a tenth of their capacity, leaving millions of journeys a day needing to be made by other means. UDG is concerned that if people switch these journeys to cars, towns and cities will grind to a halt, air quality will deteriorate and road danger will increase. UDG says: “Make walking and cycling the easiest and most safe ways to get about.” • Space for work and leisure: Space needs to be used a way that is best for people, society, and the environment. UDG says: “Space outside shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars will enable the economy to be unlocked, and people to safely come together. Extra space can be provided swiftly by extending footways.” • Space for children and neighbourliness: The COVID-19 crisis has bought communities together. UDG says: “To keep residential streets as places where children can learn to ride a bike or play together, and community life can flourish, Play Streets, School Streets and low traffic neighbourhoods with 20mph limits can be created at minimal cost.”
A vision of fast urban change The McGregor Coxall design studio has reimagined how Westminster Bridge could be quickly transformed by bringing in additional walking space, protected cycle lanes, and a bus lane, as well as extra space for people to enjoy the views, fresh air and planting, while maintaining physical distancing as lockdown measures are eased. The design studio’s concept maintains traffic lanes for essential vehicles, however space for non-essential traffic is given over to pedestrians and cyclists. This would assist with a likely significant increase of people choosing active transport modes as the government suggests people should choose to walk or cycle due to limited capacity on public transport as physical distancing measures continue. These sorts of measures would require minimal physical intervention, lines can be painted, coloured surfaces can be quickly overlaid on the existing tarmac, planters can be placed in position. Legal processes can be completed in a week or less.
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Life in a socially distanced town
Typical temporary interventions to consider for high streets and town centres: Widen footways by utilising the carriageway Reduce traffic speeds using traffic calming measures Pedestrianise and consider impact on traffic movement Suspend on street parking to facilitate other measures Minimise pinch points, whilst taking into consideration security and the needs of the disabled and elderly 6. Safe, level crossing points 7. Seating areas for the disabled and elderly 8. Introduce cycleways 9. Phase delivery timings in loading bays 10. Queue marking indicators on pedestrian areas, focussing queues along the building frontage where appropriate 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
The government has published guidance on accessing urban centres and green spaces in the context of Public Health (Coronavirus Regulations) (England) Regulations 2020. The document provides a framework for identifying the issues associated with the use of public places in light of the need for social distancing. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Safer Public Places – Urban Centres and Green Spaces focusses primarily on areas that are likely to have high footfall and also includes practical, temporary interventions for
11. Signs on social distancing and circulation, particularly at conflict points such as junctions and crossings 12. Use existing street furniture (e.g. lamp posts) for signing to avoid impacting on pedestrian flows 13. Allow space where multiple queues meet 14. Signs to limit queue length, helping manage multiple queues and pedestrian flows 15. Stewards to help manage queues and pedestrian flows 16. Keep building entrances and footpaths clear, whilst taking account of the needs of the disabled, elderly and security considerations 17. Maximise access and introduce one-way entry and exit points 18. Signs reminding users to socially distance at bus stop waiting areas 19. Additional cleaning regimes and maintenance 20. Signs at public toilets for queuing, social distancing and automatic sanitising
adapting and managing public places. The guide sets out how high streets, areas around transport hubs and parks can be managed and operated safely, thus giving people confidence to return to public spaces. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) developed the guide with local councils, town centre managers, landowners, commercial landlords and management companies. Measures suggested in the guidance include: • changing car parking layouts
• introducing new cycle paths or extending existing paths • making high streets pedestrianised or introducing one-way traffic • separate entry and exit routes in shops • widening footpaths, temporary barriers or spray markings outside shops to support queuing • signs to encourage people to wait to allow others to pass on footpaths. Download the guidance via: www.gov.uk/guidance/safer-public-placesurban-centres-and-green-spaces-covid-19
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CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): SAFER PUBLIC PLACES – URBAN CENTRES AND GREEN SPACE, MHCLG
STREET DESIGN
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ALPHA PARKING
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
The online courses include interactive slides and questions
Parking teams are tuning into learning Alpha Parking has launched a live online training programme which harnesses video technology
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he pandemic lockdown has seen a massive increase in the use of video conferencing platforms for meetups between friends and family members, and by businesses, government bodies, schools and universities for webinars. The educational use of live video has now extended into the parking sector, with training specialist Alpha Parking delivering a new series of online tutored courses on topics such as enforcement, notice processing, CCTV operations, Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and conflict management. Virtual Parking Training was developed by Alpha Parking as a response to the pandemic and was a first foray by the company into video training. “We put together the whole concept, content and technical package within two weeks of lockdown having been declared,” says Penny Winder, director of Alpha Parking. “The positive response and take up have made the hard work and commitment worthwhile. It means our clients have continued to receive training and Alpha has been able to continue to provide what is one of our four main workflows: • Parking training & qualifications • Parking consultancy • Traffic order reviews, support and drafting • Parking surveys of all types and sizes.” Selecting a flexible and reliable video conferencing system was vitally import, so when devising Virtual Parking Training, Alpha road tested a number of platforms. “We reviewed the main providers and narrowed it down to the two that met our specifications and were widely available,” says Winder. “We then had
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trial sessions using Alpha staff as delegates to assess the systems offer, which best met our requirements and could be rolled out easily to delegates throughout the UK using the IT available to most people.” The successful platform is one that supports interaction between people and enables the company to share both graphics and slides with candidates during the sessions. “Access to slides and videos and the ability for delegates to work through exercises in ‘virtual groups’ were part of our original requirements,” she says. The online courses mirror those that are usually delivered in person, ranging from short refresher sessions to City & Guilds courses that run over several days. “We provide courses running from one day through two, three and five days,” says Winder. “Once delegates are registered on our system for that course they come in and out as agreed with the trainers. Courses that require several days can be spread out but we find clients usually prefer it to be a single, combined process.” To enable online training to be able to run smoothly, candidates need a PC or laptop with a webcam, microphone and speakers, a strong internet connection and a quiet room to with no distractions. So far there have been no problems with candidates losing their connection during a session for any length of time. Winder says that if a candidate did ever miss out on training because a technical issue arose the company and trainers would approach the matter sympathetically. Despite the fact the course is delivered online, a rapport does build up between the delegates over the course of the course. “We actively encourage this to happen because we believe it helps the learning experience and for delegates to compare experiences,” says Winder. “Questions, answers and discussions occur during the course and the tutors encourage interaction, such as if delegates want to come back into the session a little early so they can discuss their experiences with each other.” With many candidates taking courses at home, there have been
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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT occasions when domestic life does intrude in the form of unexpected interruptions by children, pets and couriers. “Interruptions have happened, including one delegate who had to sit in their kitchen while their mother was cooking and washing-up in the background. Our trainers are professional and very experienced and have found this an interesting new challenge, we find that everyone appreciates the current situation and tries to help and adapt and, of course, we have all had a lot of recent training on ‘mute’ button usage!” Local authorities and companies can book Virtual Parking Training courses for their staff, but there are also scheduled courses that are open to a mix of candidates from different organisations. “We can and have done both,” reports Winder. “One of the positives, and one of the reasons virtual training will continue to be part of our offer, is that it helps clients who may only have one or two candidates at any one time and have difficulty putting together a full group for a course,” says Winder. “As an example of the current flexibility, we have just trained a group that brought together delegates from the South West, the North East and Wales.”
I have learnt more in the three days on the course than I have in the last five years working in parking Candidate comment
Alpha is looking at developing a range of online training materials, but believes the delivery of courses by a real person gives candidates a really meaningful learning experience. “When dealing with a many faceted topic like parking, we believe that a live trainer is the best way of communicating and explaining the topics and responding to questions and difficulties,” says Winder. “However, virtual training has proved a very interesting and worthwhile avenue so we are certainly open to other possibilities.” To find out more about Virtual Parking Training visit: aparking.co.uk Tara Gabriel
Live lessons click Candidates have found tutor-led online learning to be a positive and inspiring experience Notice processing course “Tara Gabriel was a friendly tutor who was able to answer any questions that were given to her. She gave us an insight into different aspects of parking that we might not have considered before. The adaptability of video training, as opposed to waiting until we are out of lockdown, enabled us to begin the training earlier than we thought.” Ticket and permit processing officer, Brentwood Borough Council “Overall the training was good. The hand-outs were the best thing and will make it easier for me if I decide to progress higher in the future.” Notice processing officer, Saba Group “Tara Gabriel was a very good trainer. She is very clear and precise with her knowledge. She was very understanding of the current circumstances too.” Processing officer, London Borough of Sutton “I have learnt more in the three days on the course than I have in the last five years working in parking. Tara is amazing and has excellent knowledge, her explanations are very clear. The tools that she has given me to move forward will not just benefit me, but will benefit the industry that I work in.” CEO, Brentwood Borough Council “The trainer made a good connection with everybody and made me feel very comfortable and at ease. The course was explained in a very simple way with lots of examples and took time in answering anything that one was not sure of. The sound and visual quality was fine and could hear trainer clearly throughout. Excellent service.” Parking administrator, Woking Borough Council “Tara was great, she was very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject and happy to stay on later to answer any queries or recap any bits we were unsure about. Overall it was very informative. I have no prior experience so it was very helpful to me.” CEO, Thanet Council “The course was very good. The detail was very informative and delivered in a way that was easy for everyone to understand.” Back office manager, Serco
Civil Enforcement Officer course “I thought that the training was very comprehensive and I left the course feeling like I knew a lot more than I did before the course began, despite already having been doing the job for several months. This is undoubtedly a testament to the abilities of the trainer, who I found to be excellent, friendly and engaging.” Parking services officer, Ceredigion County Council “Luke Harding was professional at all times and clearly had extensive knowledge in this field. His teaching skills were second to none and he was able to answer any questions with a clear and easy to understand answer. Prior to the training, I received an email that contained clear and easy instructions to join onto the online course.” CEO, Isle of Wight Council
CCTV course “The hand-outs were extremely useful, the guides were fantastic and the course content was relevant and gave me a greater understanding of the whole process. There was a great mix of learning, thought provoking discussions, interactivity and the tutor, Tara Gabriel, led the course so confidently and made it pleasure to be a part of. Tara made everything understandable.” Senior CEO, Cornwall Council
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PARKING IN THE COMMUNITY
The Arsenal Foundation has been helping vulnerable people in Islington
The Sobell Centre in Islington became a warehouse and distribution hub operated by staff who have been seconded from their directorates along with volunteers
Arsenal FC supported the COVID-19 response
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Andy Cummins and Joseph Huxton-Mendy
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PARKING IN THE COMMUNITY
All together now A team of civil enforcement agents have been volunteering to help the NHS and vulnerable people during the pandemic, reports Mark Moran
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the NHS. On top of delivering important medication, he also volhe coronavirus emergency has seen many people unteers for Isolation Help, delivering essentials such as food and step up to help their local communities by voluntoiletries to vulnerable people. teering. The team at civil enforcement agency JBW Hewke reveals that volunteering has a two-way benefit, as Group are among the many thousands who have being able to help has given him a sense of purpose during what volunteered their time and expertise to ensure that are very strange times. He says: “There are so many people that vulnerable people receive essential medicines, regular are appreciative of our efforts. The most heart-warming feeling supplies of food and do not feel isolated. is when a 95-year-old lady thanks you at least 10 times for JBW Group works for many local authorities across the UK, your help.” collecting unpaid road traffic and parking debts. Once lockdown JBW Group is also assisting Plymouth City Council, where was introduced on 23 March, the company’s fieldwork was put enforcement agent Gordon Rice is helping to distribute medication on hold. This meant teams at JBW companies such as Phoenix and health packs to those in need of support and assistance. Commercial Collections were either confined to administrative Cummins himself has been helping delivering essential supplies work or placed on furlough. in north London. He has been volunteering in Islington where a It was not long before managers such as Andy Cummins, large leisure centre, the Sobell Centre, has been converted into a business development and client director at Phoenix, began warehouse and distribution hub. thinking about how they could match the talents of their staff “My own role is not furloughed, but my workload has reduced, with the projects being run by partner local authorities. so I am managing to volunteer and get my work completed in the “As business as usual had dropped off quite a bit, we found evenings,” he says. “In my role at Islington I am working alongside ourselves with surplus resource,” says Cummins. “So, we offered staff from various directorates, including parks and recreation, voluntary assistance to all our clients to help with their efforts in events management, housing, health and safety, environmental tackling COVID-19. We offered people, vehicles and fuel, and health and many more. several clients accepted our offer. We also had staff on furlough “The chap who is in charge of the warehouse here, Joseph who wished to volunteer and they are also assisting clients with Huxton-Mendy, is, coincidentally, from the council’s parking vulnerable individuals and families.” department. He is an apprentice in There was a genuine desire among the middle of a project management staff at Phoenix and sister agency apprenticeship!” JBW to pitch in and help the comThe JBW Group has paid tribute munities in which they work, with to the work that its team members both working and furloughed team are doing in the community. John members coming on board. In all, The most heart-warming feeling comes Mason, client services director at some 22 staff from across the group when a 95-year-old lady thanks you at JBW, says: “We couldn’t be more have been volunteering. least 10 times for your help proud of the efforts being made by The volunteers have been underour colleagues who are busy helping taking a wide range of activities, Thomas Hewke others during this difficult time, explains Cummins. “Our voluntary including the most vulnerable. tasks range from: unloading trucks “Teams across the group compaof foodstuffs and essentials at central nies have worked incredibly hard local authority hubs; stacking shelves to ensure we continue to provide supermarket-style in food distributhe best possible service we can to our clients and it is truly a tion centres; packing deliveries for vulnerable individuals, families remarkable achievement.” and food banks; delivering the pack to homes and centres; and And while its staff are looking after the community, JBW is collecting essential NHS prescription drugs from pharmacies working to look after its staff during what is a stressful period, and delivering them to people who are shielding. says Mason. “Whether an employee or a self-employed contractor, For example, JBW contacted Manchester City Council on 2 we are aware of the significant impact that the COVID-19 crisis April to see if it could provide much needed support and volunteers has had on each and every one of us,” he says. to help distribute food at its local food banks. Within 72 hours “So many of us have had to adjust to the challenge of working enforcement agents Richard Gare and Paul Richards volunteered from home, whilst no doubt juggling family commitments and to help deliver food parcels to those in need. the restrictive, but necessary restrictions that have been placed “I’m helping to make deliveries as it is a big help to the on our ability to do even the most basic of activities that we community who can’t get out for themselves,” says Richard Gare. normally enjoy.” “It’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that you’re able to help The company has kept in contact with staff and provided them out, especially given the fact that I’ve never had the opportunity a range of links and resources that they may find helpful should to volunteer before, so when this opportunity came up, I didn’t things become stressful. It is also ensuring that it will be ready to hesitate to put myself forward to assist.” start operating once some level of normality is restored. Manchester City Council was very appreciative of the good “Group company account directors and managers are actively work the Phoenix staff has been doing. Patricia Wilkinson, working with clients on how we will transition back to full opermanager, parking, bus lane and CCTV services, said: “Please pass ations,” says Mason. “Through our active engagement and memon our thanks to the guys who are giving their time to support bership of trade associations and bodies, we continue to play a Manchester City Council.” key role in ensuring that plans to recommence normal operational Thomas Hewke, who works in enforcement support, has been activity is carefully planned and ensures, above all, that those volunteering for pharmacies in the Bexley area of London, most impacted by this crisis are offered every assistance.” delivering urgent prescriptions and medication for the elderly via
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Phone-based parking will become more common
Welcome to the new normal Parking and mobility will lead the way into a touch-free society as the pandemic passes, says Chris Edwards
T
here’s a reason the word “unprecedented” is now plastered across our cultural landscape. No one has seen anything like this. The parking and mobility industries will need to be particularly dynamic as countries reopen and recover at different rates. This flexibility and change was already something that these industries were adjusting to. Statistical insights and informed planning are needed to get a sense of what comes next. With more than 20 million customers in more than 930 cities, PARK NOW Group is well positioned to access digital parking data. We interviewed sector’s experts across seven countries to get a sense of their vision of the pandemic’s impact on parking. Our panel provided thoughts on the factors at play, possible outcomes, challenges to be met, tools at hand and ongoing environmental concerns. Though they disagreed on some details, they were aligned on the big changes that are in progress. Large-scale travel will resume, but mobility is moving towards a shared model. Local authorities will change their deployment of parking resources, while, most importantly, Western countries will sprint towards a contactless and cashless society to protect public health. Coronavirus has accelerated the evolution of touchless payments and mobility. As restrictions ease, digitalisation will become standard. Local authorities looking to protect constituents know that parking meters are no longer the safest means of payment. Digital parking providers can and should share the responsibility
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of supporting public health in cities across Europe through their solutions. Sustainability and health go hand-in-hand; by focussing on reservations, insights in parking availability and emissionbased solutions for cities, the parking industry can make an impact on both critical areas. Contactless parking solutions can show a model for a healthier, cashless society.
A sector in flux Before COVID-19, the mobility sector had already been upended by advances in sharing technologies and new approaches sparked by environmental concerns. Now, contradictory forces are pushing these innovations to the forefront. David Lainé, commercial director of mobility platform Trafi in France, points out: “Cars are only used 4% of the time and if companies continue remote working or alternate workdays, as is currently being discussed, that number will drop even lower. However, fear of public transport may ultimately drive higher individual car usage in the short and long term.” PARK NOW Group Germany managing director Marko Hrankovic says: “Mobility in general is getting reassessed. Cycling is getting promoted and things that had been languishing in the docket are now being pushed to the forefront.” In fact, local authorities are trying to react quickly, sometimes finding local options more flexible to implement and most adaptable as the situation evolves. Tony Ralph, Islington Council’s service director of the public realm, is seeing this not just within his borough, but also across the diverse range of surrounding councils. “The real scale of the impacts of this crisis are most likely not fully understood,” he says. Ralph is certain, however, that the public and private sectors will be adapting quickly to implement a wide range of safety measures.
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PAYMENT TRENDS Mobility will recover The wide range of outcomes complicates predictions. Our expert panel disagreed on the timeline for resuming work travel, though all agreed it would be in a familiar form within the next two years. Joris Petillion, managing director of PARK NOW Belgium, predicts: “This year, there will be more teleworking, as people have seen the utility and the social pressure to travel is gone. By next year, however, commuting will return to normal. People have short memories – and Belgium is a car-addicted country.” Mobility will not go back to how it was in 2019. Companies now know they can save money by opting for virtual solutions and remote meetings. The virtual framework they were forced to construct out of necessity can be maintained to maximise physical resources and minimise space costs. Olivier Koch, managing director of PARK NOW France, also believes the lockdown has led to a change in state of mind. “Fewer companies will think that remote working is not efficient,” he said. “This crisis has proven that this is a misconception.” The return to normalcy will also bring large questions about congestion and public transport. A Chinese study found that traffic jams increased by about 20% in 17 cities after lockdown because people didn’t want to be on public transport. The panel believes this is likely in Europe as well, though they varied in expectations of duration and effect. Peter O’Driscoll, managing director of RingGo in the UK, says that while people will stay home and be wary of public transport after the lockdown ends, by August or September they will be drifting back to usual transportation options, though this will vary by region. Additionally, not only does he expect there will be more cycling, but he also foresees an acceleration of electric scooter usage and legislation.
The shift to a touchless society There will be a profound shift towards contactless payments as governments and businesses alike look for every way to reduce the virus’ spread. Hrankovic pointed out that the whole digital sphere has been heavily re-evaluated in the past couple of months after years of doubt. From Belgium, PARK NOW’s Joris Petillion says: “Man is a creature of habit; habit is shifting.” In the UK, RingGo’s Peter O’Driscoll and Islington’s Tony Ralph point out that local authorities are now considering virtual parking enforcement, with no need to put a ticket on the car. While forward-looking cities like Amsterdam and the private parking sector have worked in this system for years, some local authorities were reluctant to explore this before the crisis. Now, councils across the UK are removing parking machines from streets to reduce the likelihood of illnesses being passed by so many hands touching machines. Of course, the road to contactless parking has some bumps. Some elderly people are uncomfortable with contactless payments or unable to physically manipulate the technology. Some councils may also need to address the limited distribution of smartphones or the internet itself. As cashless and contactless parking gained popularity before the crisis, a number of local authorities had
PARK NOW has been tracking changes in transactions across Europe
Man is a creature of habit – habit is shifting Joris Petillion
made the conscious decision to make cashless cheaper than cash – following the lead of councils such as Brent, Hackney and Tunbridge Wells in the UK – by raising cash charges above the levels paid by phone. It is no surprise that governments and the mobility sector face some unique challenges as the lockdowns end. In order to comply with social distancing, France would need to scale up public transport by a factor of three, according to Lainé. As in the Chinese study, there’s a real danger of a flood of traffic if people avoid public transport. Currently, two-thirds of Parisians don’t own a car. To preserve the air quality and reduce traffic, they need options other than car ownership or public transport to commute when they don’t feel safe. The solution is to spread mobility. Paris authorities recently announced the creation of 650km (400 miles) of bike lanes, while Milan has included pedestrian and bike streets in its post-lockdown planning.
Parking as important city income
Traditional terminals are being mothballed in places
Local authorities are facing huge holes in their budgets, as they have either stopped charging for parking or seen demand for parking disappear. Many are offering free parking to healthcare workers, and others have taken away all parking charges. In Belgium, parking turnover has dropped to an almost zero. All travel outside of crucial jobs and groceries is forbidden, which is enforced with hefty fines. In Berlin, overall mobility declined more than 50%.
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Parking charges in the City of London are changing From Monday 20 August 2018 – new parking charges apply in the Square Mile.
environment will continue after the crisis. Cities will still need to control automotive crowding and reduce parking congestion in urban areas. Moreover, the current environmental push could accelerate as attention goes to digital. “People have seen the knock-on benefits to the environment very quickly.” PARK NOW Germany’s Marko Hrankovic concurs. “A ‘green deal’ always included a vision for a new type of mobility, with air travel reduction, the expansion of public transport and bike traffic.”
People have seen the knock-on benefits to the environment very quickly Marko Hrankovic
Improving air quality is one of the City of London Corporation’s main objectives. Introducing parking charges based on vehicle emissions is one of the measures to achieve this.
The City of London Corporation uses RingGo Emissions-Based Parking to encourage travel behaviour change “From a parking perspective,” remarks Tony Ralph about Islington, “we have seen the overall revenue of the service decrease either from reduced parking enforcement or as we have scaled back other traffic schemes to ensure we are not overtly impacting essential travel around the borough.” It will take many tools to bridge this gap, but one of them is certainly contactless payment. Residents will be far more likely to use paid parking if they can pay without having to touch a potentially infected parking machine.
Now, added concerns about health will drive this development even faster. The crisis is bringing attention to air quality. People across Europe have experienced a vivid demonstration of how polluted their air was before. Now that they’ve experienced the everyday difference of pollution, they will be more aware of environmental impact. Adding more urgency are concerns that air quality may impact COVID-19 mortality rates. RingGo’s Peter O’Driscoll has a threepoint approach for local governments to maintain clean air: emission-based parking, bike highways and variable deliveries with reservations. His answer to economic concerns is to balance traffic, trade and air quality through data. “RingGo has millions of users. They can look at millions of data points,” he says. O’Driscoll noted that a major push that councils can make to impact the environment is to adopt emissions-based parking (EBP) schemes which encourage those who purchase cars to purchase electric vehicles. Since its adoption in Westminster two years ago, EBP has led to a 38% reduction in nitrogen dioxide in the air while there has been a reduction of 16% in the most polluting diesel vehicles in the area.
The future of mobility
Environmental concerns
There are many solutions under discussion for the diverse challenges and factors in each country and every city. Two keys to meeting mobility needs and sustainability goals are data and flexibility. Businesses and governments can’t afford to get stuck in a single way of doing things or a rigid viewpoint. They must use data to know which of the many tools they must use to react to the situation in real-time. Moreover, they must act quickly. The process of digitalisation will continue to accelerate. The numbers of digital payments in the mobility sector will dramatically rise. This will serve us in two ways. Firstly, removing cash parking machines eliminates a vector for infection, not just of coronavirus but any number of colds and flus. Secondly, the data these payments create will map crowds and help track future infections. Reservations will add convenience to commuting and deliveries, as well as helping budget-struck councils find a way to recover. A touch-free and digital society will be the long-lasting effect of this crisis. There are no simple answers. As WPS’s Lewis Wray notes: “There’s never been an event that’s had such an impact on people.” It is certainly clear, however, that the mobility sector has an incredible opportunity to be a force for positive change. The decisions made now can improve the health and lives of millions, to say nothing about the seismic impact of improving the environment. For all the sorrow this disease has spread across the globe, there is some comfort in the hope that there will be a dawn after the darkness. For the mobility sector, there is a unique chance to light a path.
This moment may prove to be a tipping point in sustainability. WSP’s Lewis Wray believes that while the tension between the economy and environment still exists, the drive for a cleaner
Chris Edwards is UK marketing director of RingGo, which is part of the PARK NOW group
The solutions of the future Luckily, there are some great problem-solving tools at hand. In the Netherlands, Esther van der Meer, managing director of PARK NOW NL, noted that her group’s services can actually help implement social distancing. It can limit parking in specific areas, such as lots outside of parks or other attractions. It could use metadata to see congestion and help predict or catch lapses in crowd control. This traffic mapping could even be used to fight future outbreaks or help with disaster prevention. Lewis Wray, director of consultancy WSP in the UK, suggests a creative solution to the gap in retail parking demand. Local authorities can make money by monetising kerb space. Many places are seeing less car travel into central zones. Deliveries, however, still need to happen. Some of this is due to London specific auto restrictions, and some is due to reduced retailoriented travel due to online shopping. That empty kerb space could not only be used for those deliveries, but it can also be monetised in a way that makes things easier for the businesses by using reservations via an online platform.
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Published by:
In association with:
HANDBOOK 2020 The essential A-Z guide to who’s who in the parking and traffic sectors The efficient management of the kerbside, streets and car parks is essential to ensuring that towns, cities and destinations function properly. Traffic and parking managers are in the front line of creating safe and accessible towns and cities as the UK begins its recovery from the social, health and economic impacts of the coronavirus emergency. More than ever, there is a need and desire among parking and transport professionals to share knowledge and experience. To meet this demand the Landor LINKS team is proud to present the Traffic + Parking Handbook 2020. The Traffic + Parking Handbook will be an easy-to-use, smart handheld A5 annual directory. The Traffic + Parking Handbook will be distributed with the September issue of Parking Review magazine, at key Landor LINKS events and made available free via various online channels to download or request a print copy. The handbook will include comprehensive listings on companies and organisations active in: G Parking enforcement G Payment technology
G Car park management services
BASIC LISTING – FREE G Company name and contact details listed in the relevant section of the handbook
STANDARD LISTING – £350 G Company logo and up to 50 words company profile in the relevant section
G Additional contact details and web address can be added on top of the 50 word limit
PREMIUM LISTING – £700 G Company logo and up to 150 words company profile in the relevant section
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G Business information systems G Permit schemes G Public consultation and surveys G Traffic Regulation Orders and digital mapping G Electric vehicle charging infrastructure G Car park design, construction and maintenance G Cycle parking G Consultancy G Debt recovery G Uniforms
SPONSORED LISTING – £1,500 G Full page advert at the beginning or end of the chosen section G Your listing to appear first within said chosen section
G Company logo and up to 200 words company profile in the relevant section
G Additional contact details and web address can be added on top of the 200 word limit G Your listing can be included in up to a maximum of 3 relevant sections
G Personal protection devices G Patrol vehicles G ANPR systems G Access control and traffic calming products G CCTV
To be a part of this essential guide please contact Jason Conboy, Commercial Manager, Landor LINKS on: 020 7091 7895 or email: jason@landor.co.uk
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BUSINESS NEWS
StructureCare joins CPG Europe Group Car park specialist becomes part of European group Structural maintenance and repair specialist StructureCare has become part of RPM’s Construction Products Group, (CPG) Europe. Previously, the company was incorporated into the USL Group. StructureCare is active in the parking sector, with a portfolio that includes structural waterproofing, concrete repair and protection, liquid waterproofing and expansion joint systems. The company provides a range of specialist construction products and contracting services to the infrastructure, industrial, retail, commercial and residential industry sectors in the UK. Ben Hallett, director of StructureCare, said: “This positive realignment of the StructureCare brand enables us to benefit from increased support within CPG Europe and the wider RPM Group. “The team is made up of the same familiar faces who will continue to engage with people to ensure that we are able to understand and meet the expectations of our valued clients. It is very much business as usual, but with added support and exciting development plans that we look forward to expanding on in due course.” StructureCare operates with a 100% directly employed workforce and will continue to offer
Rotherham Interchange: StructureCare’s winner of the British Parking Awards 2020 trophy for Best Car Park Renewal Refurbishment a single point responsibility package for owners, managers and operators of car parks. Being part the CPG family means that StructureCare is aligned with brands such as
Ben Hallett
Flowcrete and Tremco (see panel below). Ryan Williams, business development manager of StructureCare, said: “Along with client retention, our objectives
Ryan Williams
Construction Products Group Europe launched A new brand has been launched in the construction products sector that will see companies active in the parking sector come under a new grouping. RPM International has launched Construction Products Group (CPG) Europe as a new umbrella brand for a number of UK construction names such as such as StructureCare, Flowcrete and Tremco, Melissa Schoger, president of CPG Europe, unveiled the new identity for its regional construction division in Europe on 1 June. Construction Products Group (CPG) Europe will be the vehicle for RPM’s leading construction product brands and the manufacture of building materials, covering a variety of construction needs ranging from sealing, bonding and insulation to flooring, fire protection, waterproofing and roofing solutions.
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Melissa Schoger Melissa Schoger, president of CPG Europe, said: “Bringing such exceptional teams, products and services together means that we can harness the collective expertise, skills and innovations to offer the construction industry a truly special combination of products and services.”
for the trusted StructureCare brand comprise new opportunities, optimum service levels and product development using the valued access to the wideranging, well known CPG Europe brands and expertise. With our extensive knowledge of this specialist industry, we will continue the good work of the brand as ever.” StructureCare has been involved in a number of projects that have won British Parking Awards, including Rotherham Interchange and the Pink Parking car and coach park at Wembley Park, London (both 2020), Birmingham Bullring (2019), and Ruskin Square in Croydon (2018).
CPG will have over 1,400 employees across Europe. John Gordon, managing director of CPG UK, said: “We have exciting development plans for CPG UK, which is a key market within the group. The company has invested in a new 90,000 square foot distribution centre in Leicester, which is now up and running, offering improved stock availability and service. And even during these challenging times, we have been recruiting additional technical, sales and specification personnel to increase coverage and penetration within our core markets. “Today’s architects, contractors, developers and tradespeople face complex challenges. CPG’s unique mix of brands, services and expertise means that it is the ideal partner to work with to develop buildings which save energy, last longer and exceed sustainability benchmarks.” www.cpg-europe.com
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BUSINESS NEWS
Wortley heads up Metric Group New faces head up parking payment system manufacturer Parking payment system manufacturer Metric Group has appointed Chris Wortley as its new managing director. Wortley is a parking industry veteran with a background in both the public and private sectors. He has held operational and business development roles at management companies such as APCOA Parking and headed parking services at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, as well as running parking at London Gatwick Airport and Australia’s Melbourne Airport. Wortley takes over from Matthew Ridley, who had been acting managing director since May 2019. Ridley resigned from the business to undertake a role outside of the parking sector. Metric is part of the Tri Star Group, whose chief executive Dr Johnny Liu said: “Chris joins with significant experience of the parking, retail and commercial sectors having undertaken
Chris Wortley
Nick Heal
senior roles both as a practitioner and a consultant at airports, parking management companies and local authority. He has been associated with the parking sector since 2005.
“I would like welcome Chris who joins at a key time for the parking and transportation industry and to thank Matt for his service during his time at Metric Group.” Metric has also appointed a new head of finance. Nick Heal is a chartered accountant who moved into the commercial world with AXA Insurance, entering the logistics world with roles at P&O Group and Wincanton Logistics Group. Having left logistics behind in 2005 he spent 12 years with the Marriott Hotels Group as a director of finance.
Protection provider Metric has been helping the shortfall in personal protection equipment (PPE) as part of the 3DCrowd UK Emergency 3D Printed Face Shields fundraiser. Metric has been supplying sets of parts for face shields free of charge.
RingGo operates under PARK NOW Group banner RingGo’s parent operation is now officially known as PARK NOW. In 2019, RingGo and the Parkmobile Group became part of a joint venture between BMW and Daimler. This joint venture is now the PARK NOW Group, which in turn is part of the wider YOUR NOW family. As part of the rebranding, the UK entities within the group are about to undergo a change in corporate identity to bring them in line with the other members of the PARK NOW Group. This will see Cobalt Telephone Technologies, which operates the RingGo brand, become known as PARK NOW. The company will be moving to new offices, but remain in the Hampshire town of Basingstoke. There will be no change to services and the cashless parking service will continue to operate under the RingGo brand.
WEBINAR SERIES Traffic and parking managers are in the front line of creating safe and accessible towns and cities as the UK begins its recovery from the social, health and economic impacts of the coronavirus emergency. More than ever, there is a need to share knowledge and experience. The Landor LINKS team is proud to present the expert-led Traffic + Parking Webinar Series. CLEARER ROADS, CLEANER AIR Keeping improvements in air quality after the pandemic 30 June 10.30-11.45am Presented by
Sponsored by
To register your free place visit:
www.TransportXtra.com/events
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BUSINESS NEWS
AppyWay brings in former Cisco boss Kerbside tech company brings in digital and smart city experts Kerbside and smart parking technology company AppyWay has appointed ex-Cisco UK & Ireland chief executive Phil Smith CBE to its board to serve as nonexecutive chairman. Smith is currently chairman of publicly listed IQE plc and chairman and non-executive director at the Digital Skills Partnership. AppyWay was attracted by his previous experience at Cisco and as former chair of Innovate UK and The Tech Partnership. AppyWay founder and chief executive Dan Hubert said: “Phil has an impressive and illustrious background and I’m thrilled to add his expertise and experience to our board. “His enthusiasm for our vision combined with his impressive understanding of the market have already proved highly valuable to the company in several ways.”
Phil Smith CBE
Kim Smith
Smith’s accolades include being named Orange Business Leader of the Year, a member of the Wired 100 and being listed in the 50 Kindest Leaders in 2018. He was awarded a CBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his services to technology, business, and skills. Phil Smith said: “The opportunity to revolutionise the way we understand, use and optimise our transport infrastructure around the world is exciting. AppyWay have already demonstrated its clear understanding of the key issues, challenges and
opportunities with leading technologies and deep client engagement.” Smith’s appointment follows recent AppyWay board additions, Amazon veteran Ron Kornfeld, and John Fogelin, AppyWay’s resident chief technology and chief security officer. AppyWay has also appointed smart city champion Kim Smith to its advisory board. She is currently head of smart mobility at DG:Cities, an urban innovation company that focusses on the integration of smart city technologies.
NY transit boss Byford becomes London Transport Commissioner
Andy Byford Andy Byford has been appointed as London’s new transport commissioner, following an international recruitment and selection process. Byford’s most recent role was President and chief executive officer of New York City Transit Authority, where he was responsible for 50,000 staff and devised a $40bn five-year investment plan to renew the city’s transport system. The appointment was confirmed by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Board of Transport for London (TfL). He will join TfL on 29 June, with current commissioner Mike Brown MVO staying on until 10 July to hand over to Byford before he takes up a position overseeing the renovation of the Houses of Parliament.
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Byford, 54, takes up the post at a pivotal moment for the organisation and for London as TfL works to help the capital recover from the COVID19 pandemic. Byford has a worked for major urban transport authorities in a career that has spanned over 30 years and three continents. As well as his recent leadership role in New York, his previous positions include: • chief executive officer, Toronto Transit Commission, Canada • chief operating officer & deputy CEO, Rail Corporation New South Wales, Australia • director of operations, Southern Railway • director of safety and Operations, South Eastern Trains • various roles at London Underground, where he started as a graduate trainee in 1989 and worked his way up to general manager, customer service for the Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “COVID-19 has had a profound impact on public transport in London but Andy brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise to lead TfL as it faces this unprecedented challenge.”
Smith has spent over 25 years in transport planning, project delivery, policy formation and strategy, as well as working at an operational level, managing the delivery of passenger transport services. Smith joined DG:Cities from the Royal Borough of Greenwich where she was the council’s transportation planning and strategy manager. “I am delighted to be joining AppyWay’s advisory board, where there’s an exciting opportunity to layer the innovation and learning they bring to some of the key issues and challenges we are facing in championing a more holistic and sustainable approach to our rapidly expanding cities,” she said. Dan Hubert said: “Helping cities to thrive through smart, sustainable mobility requires a lot of strategy, planning, passion, and patience. Kim’s strong local authority background and impeccable knowledge on implementing smart transport initiatives makes her an exemplary advisor for the AppyWay board.”
And the winner is… Edmund King
Edmund King OBE Automotive press agency Newspress has presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Edmund King OBE, president of the AA. The Lifetime Achievement Award rewards those in either automotive public relations, or motoring journalism, who command genuine respect from peers, have shown unstinting commitment to service and an unswerving energy for the subject matter. The jury said: “Edmund King is part of the furniture and, as the goto talking head for all things motoring, his insight is invaluable for the car driving public.” Starting out as a civil servant, King worked as a committee
secretary for the Social Science Research Council, before he started his career in PR. King became campaigns cocoordinator for the British Road Federation and then joined the RAC Limited, becoming the first director of the RAC Foundation in 1999. In 2008, he became president of The Automobile Association. King is a member of the transport sector panel of The Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, fellow of the Public Relations Consultants Association and a committee member of the Motor Industry Public Affairs Association.
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BUSINESS NEWS
Short joins Orbility UK team Parking systems manufacturer appoints UK sales director Parking technology solutions company Orbility has appointed Jim Short as sales director for the UK. His career background is in parking operations, having worked with both technology providers and operators for over a decade. Short was most recently technology sales manager at Smart Parking and also worked for WPS. He previously worked for Orbility under the ACS and Xerox brands, as senior business development manager. Now that he is back at Orbility, Short will develop sales strategy and maintain relationships with key accounts and partners. Jim Short said: “I am genuinely excited to be joining former and new colleagues, to help drive the sales and revenue objectives of a global parking technology business. “Orbility’s continued commitment to product innovation in parking management systems,
Jim Short dedication to superior customer service and strong desire to expand in the UK market, provides a great opportunity. “Having in-depth knowledge of both sides of the sector is important. It helps to understand how different parking technologies, enforcement models and legislation play a key role in delivering the overall service. “The days of multiple individual technology contracts with no overlapping functionality are firmly in the past. Successful
Kenney elected to CIVEA executive
players will understand the value of integration, simplified revenue reconciliation and data-driven decision making. “Contactless and frictionless parking experiences which are already at the forefront of clients’ and motorists’ minds, are set to become even more important as people are released from coronavirus lockdowns.” Denis Brazzolotto, head of sales and marketing at Orbility, said: “Having worked with Jim before, his tenacity and sales drive contributed significantly to UK business success. We look forward to building this crucial market and are delighted to welcome him to our growing team.” Over the past 50 years, Orbility has operated under various flags, including Elsydel, Ascom, ACS and Xerox, which sold the parking technology business to Andera Partners, an investment company based in France in 2017. The Orbility brand was launched in 2019. Orbility’s UK client base encompasses NHS trusts, shopping centres, councils and airports.
Carole Kenney, customer service and performance delivery director at Phoenix Commercial Collections has been elected to the executive of CIVEA, the trade association for the debt recovery sector. She said: “I look forward to continuing to raise the profile and perception of the industry and being an advocate of best practice and high standards within the profession.” Phoenix can currently draw on the knowledge of two former presidents of CIVEA and its predecessor ACEA, Fred Ternent and Paul Caddy, as well as having a current member of the CIVEA executive.
Carole Kenney
We currently supply and have vacancies around the UK for Permanent and Temporary positions:
WEBINAR SERIES
• Civil Enforcement Officers • Environmental Enforcement Officers
Traffic and parking managers are in the front line of creating safe and accessible towns and cities as the UK begins its recovery from the social, health and economic impacts of the coronavirus emergency. More than ever, there is a need to share knowledge and experience.
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PARKING TECHNOLOGY
AppyWay Parking API opens up the kerbside Vehicle fleets and developers can access parking database AppyWay has launched an application programming interface (API) that will enable vehicle fleet operators, logistics companies and software developers to tap into its standardised kerbside parking datasets. The launch of the API follows an upgrade to the company’s data-driven platform and the mapping of parking restrictions for over 450 UK towns and cities. AppyWay aggregates, collects and updates kerbside data, combining it with an advanced cost calculator engine so that software developers can build tailored solutions to meet a wide variety of uses. AppyWay’s chief executive and founder Dan Hubert said: “The underlying problem is parking information or, as we like to call it, kerbside intelligence. It is difficult for drivers, job schedulers and fleet operators to get easy access to the parking information they need, when they need it. “Take, for example, a carpenter working for a facilities management company. They’re scheduled to work at a site and normally
AppWay’s vision of kerbside activity waste time and fuel driving around the location looking for a spot. They need to know if it’s free or legal to park, how much it might cost and more importantly, what is the maximum stay permitted because their job could take more than two hours. “Our Parking API has been specially designed to be able to expose this level of insight, giving drivers something like a ‘parking sixth-sense’, helping them drive straight to the right space that suits their needs, quickly and safely.” Businesses that operate fleets incur significant operational costs and a variety of fleet management
solutions are available that address a range of cost lines. AppyWay sees the potential for the Parking API to be leveraged directly by such companies, or by their software partners, to increase route efficiency, reduce parking costs and minimise fines AppyWay’s chief product officer, Stephen Jones, said: “Our API can be exploited at different stages of the planning or driving journey. For example, schedulers can benefit from an integration into their job management software to solve the parking challenge before drivers embark on journeys to job locations. Or you could look at it from the side of
automotive, with OEMs or Tier Ones for example. Our kerbside insights can be integrated directly into the in-car experience, with parking options presented on maps, enabling a dynamic, realtime solution for drivers. Ultimately, product teams want to be able to delight their customers/users. We’ve built our Parking API so they’ll be able to do just that.” Dan Hubert added: “It’s an exciting time to be able to launch our re-tooled Parking API and enable developers to build positive solutions, particularly during such uncertain times. We see day by day the need for our cities and citizens to be able to adapt to the current circumstances. An increase in personal car use for work is likely in the short-term, but towns and cities can’t really afford to see a huge spike in congestion. We’re ready to help businesses create innovative solutions with our API, so we can all enjoy more accessible, less congested and safer places to live and work.” AppyWay’s Parking API is available for developers to build against, with a limited free trial available following a demonstration. Further details can be found at: https://bit.ly/ParkingAPI
Flowbird launches integrated EV charging and payment service Flowbird has launched an electric vehicle (EV) charging solution for on-street and off-street parking. Flowbird’s Park & Charge system combines EV charging hardware with existing parking terminal, app and account-based payment systems. Park & Charge thus enables both EV charging and parking services to be managed through a common centralised platform. “Park & Charge enables local authorities to optimise the value of their parking infrastructure, by integrating investment in EV charging with their established parking payment and management systems,” said Adam Sharp, digital solutions sales manager at Flowbird. “The solution makes it easy for councils to future-proof their investment in EV capacity, and to avoid technology ‘stranded’ assets, through a package that includes fast charging up to 7kWh, dynamic load management to protect local energy networks, inductive charging capability, and 5G, Wi-Fi and Internet of Things connectivity. Park & Charge units are also manufactured from 80% recycled materials, underlining our focus on a more sustainable future.” There are three charging options in the
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The Park & Charge app Flowbird solution: a ground-mounted socket for on-street and surface car parks; a post mounted socket for existing street furniture; and a wall-mounted socket system that can link groups of 10 units to a single master charger. Users will have a choice of payment options via Flowbird parking terminals, mobile apps or a white labelled Pay to Park web portal. Adam Sharp said: “Many councils have declared climate emergencies and are looking to technology partners such as Flowbird to help them deliver their low carbon strategies. With new petrol and diesel-powered cars being phased out by
2035, EV adoption and charging capability are central to delivering these objectives – and to achieving the wider net zero target by 2050 – but there are also other innovations that can play a part. For example, Flowbird technology now enables local authorities to apply emissions-based parking charges to higher polluting vehicles to encourage take-up of lower emitting cars, and our terminals can also be fitted with environmental monitoring modules for the automatic capture and transmission of street level pollution data to inform local environmental and traffic management strategies.”
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PARKING TECHNOLOGY
RingGo launches Living Machines Cashless parking provider plans to covert P&Ds into green walls Cashless parking provider RingGo is promoting the adoption of ‘touch-free’ parking by helping local authorities and private operators turn pay & display machines into natural decorative features. The PARK NOW company has launched RingGo Living Machines after feedback from its customer base to an email in the first week of May that highlighted how many councils and private operators wished to reduce their dependence on machines but felt there might be resistance from local communities for doing so. By removing most, or many, machines whilst transforming some into Living Machines, RingGo believes councils can focus on the positive benefits of removal, including lower carbon footprint from fewer vehicle journeys and revenue savings that can be reinvested into the local area. As well as providing a focal point for communications, the Living Machines are designed to help improve air quality by sustaining a range of plants. Planting selections can be chosen to reduce air pollution, maximise biodiversity or enhance the local high street by providing colour through natural flowers. The size and placement of living machines is especially good for
improving localised air quality and urban biodiversity as part of broader street greening schemes, including trees, and container planting. The solution uses the existing machine electricity supply, whether mains or solar-powered, to operate and charge an integrated irrigation controller which keeps the plants hydrated. This means displays need minimal care, requiring only intermittent horticultural checks and a top up of water about once a week. Angus Cunningham, managing director of green infrastructure company Scotscape, said: “Living Machines offer another means of bringing plants into existing urban infrastructure, supporting urban greening, local air quality initiatives, and biodiversity corridors” Peter O’Driscoll, managing director for RingGo said: “The expense of servicing machines simply isn’t sustainable when cash is such a rare commodity and likely to become even more so following COVID-19. People are understandably reluctant to touch shared keypads of both cash, and contactless, machines. “Like BT’s phone boxes, many of which now serve as defibrillator or promotional sites, we hope our Living Machines become popular for machine re-use – helping the local environment, improving air quality, adding beauty, and encouraging all forms of life back into the UK’s high streets.”
WPS touchless parking upgrades will support lockdown easing With lockdown easing, businesses slowly re-opening and people starting to use their cars more, parking equipment provider WPS has launched a set of touchless upgrades to its pay-on-exit ParkAdvance system. The modifications are designed to mitigate issues around possible virustransfer at barrier terminals and pay stations. The changes facilitate a touchless parking journey from arrival to departure. For example, a replacement touchless infrared ticket printer button for entry terminals means the customer just waves their hand in front of the new sensor and the ticket is issued without pressing to avoid any possible virus transfer. Pay stations can also be upgraded to touchless through the installation of a new surface-mounted, optical ticket scanner. Instead of inserting a ticket and receiving it back (with a possible risk of virus cross
contamination between successive customer tickets), users can now simply wave their ticket barcode in front of the optical scanner that reads a ticket without it needing to be inserted. The payment can then be made using existing contactless
payment card readers to complete the touchless experience. WPS said its automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology can be added without the need for substantial additional investment and coupled with cashless payment apps. WPS’s British Parking Awards 2020 winning technology offers new cashless ways to pay allowing customers to scan their barcoded pay-onfoot ticket using a smartphone ‘Pay Station in Your Pocket’ app to avoid any need to visit a physical pay station. Simon Jarvis, managing director of WPS in the UK, said: “It is our role as an industry to help create solutions that keep our car parks fully operational whilst creating a safe, touchless journey for all users. With its fully IP-based architecture and modular design, our ParkAdvance system is yet again showing its inborn flexibility to meet emerging challenges and opportunities.”
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PARKING TECHNOLOGY
ParkMap can manage pandemic TROs Buchanan Computing says system geared up for online consultations Buchanan Computing said that local authorities could use its ParkMap 7 platform to publish Traffic Orders relating to emergency measures designed to make streets more suitable for socially distanced walking and cycling. “Having given guidance and then statutory guidance to local authorities on how to deal with making traffic orders in the current pandemic, the Department for Transport has now surprised everyone by introducing a formal amendment to the order making regulations to relax temporarily the advertising and document inspection requirements,” said Buchanan Computing. The Traffic Orders Procedure (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020, applicable in England only, came into force on 23 May and amend these three regulations: • The Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Procedure Regulations 1992
Social distancing signs added to SignPlot The suite of social distancing message signs developed by the Department for Transport to support measures to widen pavements and create ‘pop-up’ cycle lanes have been added to Buchanan Computing’s platforms. An interim upgrade to both SignPlot and SignLoad Professional has added new functionality and made improvements to the structural calculations. The new symbols include those needed for COVID-19 temporary signs as well as signage at hospitals, signs for trams and London-specific signs. • The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996
• The Secretary of State’s Traffic Order (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1990.
Councils are now safe to make what alternative arrangements they consider “appropriate for the purpose of informing persons likely to be affected”. In most cases these arrangements are likely to involve posting of notices online, both on the council’s own website and any local newspapers that are published virtually. With council offices and libraries closed, it will also be necessary to make the pack of deposited documents that would have been available for inspection available online. Buchanan Computing provides an app as part of its ParkMap 7 cloud service. Authorities can publish their proposed traffic orders along with their deposited documents or the individual elements such as consultation plans and Statement of Reasons. Members of the public can view the app over their smartphones, PCs or tablets and pass back comments on the proposed traffic order directly to the council. Map-based, the app comes with all the features that make accessing the data easy.
Metric releases upgrade kit
Managing queues with ANPR
COVID-19 is going have a profound effect on how people pay for parking, with a growing desire for cashless and contactless transactions. Metric Group has launched a kit that enables parking operators to upgrade their Elite LS pay & display terminals to contactless payment. “Contactless payments are considered a far safer and hygienic way of paying by leading health experts,” said
Creative Car Park (CCP) has launched a vehicle-based virtual queuing system. The CarQ system instantly places a vehicle in a virtual queue as it enters a car park by using the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. CCP said it has approached major retailers such as B&Q, Halfords, Ikea and Sainsbury’s. It aims to cover all major retailers within the coming weeks. The company said all profits from the first six months of the CarQ operation will go directly to the NHS. Creative Car Park said: “The driver remains safe and warm within their vehicle, rather than standing near to others in changeable weather conditions. When it is your turn to enter the store, you will receive a notification and can head straight inside. “Customers can see the current predicted waiting time. Store operatives can remain inside the premises and use the system to call up
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the company. “To support our customers in this challenging time we have launched our new Metric Elite LS upgrade kit to enable customers to accept contactless payments on their Elite LS coin-only terminals. “Our customers safety will always be our top priority and contactless payments is a simple way of protecting our customer parking revenue whilst offering safe and reliable payments.”
the next customer based upon footfall and distancing rules, balancing the numbers entering any location. “We know our ANPR system could help to prevent lengthy queues. This is made even better by our guarantee to donate all profits within the first six months to the NHS. We are glad so many retailers are showing their interest in this solution and in turn, also backing the NHS.” Launched in 2005, Creative Car Park is an ANPR parking specialist that monitors the usage of clients’ car parks to ensure that only customers, guests and staff have permission to park. Customers include small and medium-sized businesses, shops and restaurants as well as larger regional and national companies including Accor Hotels and Southern. CCS took over the operation of its 1,000th site during December 2019, a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Rainham, Kent.
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