Parking Review Issue 371

Mark Steel’s in Town regularly gets to grips with local parking peculiarities

Look who ’s coming to town... it ’s Mark Steel

The British Parking Awards 2023 are live! The judges look forward to seeing your entries and to selecting the finalists who will compete for trophies to be presented at the Royal Lancaster London on 15 September. The awards lunch is the highlight of the sector’s social calendar, so it is with great pleasure we can reveal that the 2023 show will be presented by the legendary Mark Steel. The Sony and Writers’ Guild Awardwinning writer and comedian is best known for the critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 show Mark Steel’s in Town, a series in which local, and often peculiar, parking stories frequently turn up.

Mark Steel has presented the BAFTA-nominated Mark Steel Lectures for BBC Two. His satirical wit has been heard on BBC One’s Have I Got News For You and Radio 4’s The News Quiz. Besides being one of the UK’s leading stand-ups, Mark is an accomplished author, who has written acclaimed books including: Reasons To Be Cheerful, Vive la Révolution and What’s Going On? He has also written an adaptation of his critically acclaimed stand-up show Who Do I Think I Am? for Audible and hosts the hit podcast What the F*** is Going On? Details of the 2023 categories, criteria and guidance on how to enter can be found on the official website: www.britishparkingawards.co.uk

Mark Moran Editor

Comedian Mark Steel will host the British Parking Awards 2023

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Charging ahead in Cardiff

Cardiff City Council says road user payments are needed to support new and greener public transport services

An idea with MaaS-ive potential

Conduent

Delivering diversity and inclusion

The British Parking Association has published a strategic plan that aims to help the sector meet future challenges

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Parking policy is on the move

Transport minister Richard Holden set out the government’s thinking on parking policy at the BPA Live conference

Taking fire safety to a new level

Semper Fire Engineering and HUBER Car Park Systems UK explore fire safety design for multi-storey car parks

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Calls to retain cash payment options

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has told English councils that they must not force drivers to use phones to pay for parking

The world of parking under one roof

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Innovative technology and services will be on show at Parkex when it takes place at NEC Birmingham in June

41 Technology trends

Innovative approaches to cashless payments, managing kerbside parking data, EV charging and fighting car park fires

Charging ahead in Cardiff

Cardiff City Council says driver payments are needed to support new and greener public transport services, reports Mark

Moran

Cardiff Council sees a road user payment scheme as a way of addressing poor levels of air quality, combatting climate change, improving people’s health and reducing traffic congestion. The scheme could generate funds to deliver a greener transport network across the city with £1 bus fares, expanded bus services, new trams and more train services.

A range of schemes are being considered, including road user payments, congestion zones, clean air zones and workplace parking levies.

The council says that before any road user payment scheme is introduced enhanced public transport options would have to be up and running to help people reduce their reliance on the private car. The report warns that without the introduction of a ring-fenced road user payment it would be unlikely Cardiff will ever get the transport system it “desperately needs”.

The council has published a new report on road user charging that builds on from a Transport White Paper published in 2020 which made clear the need for major enhancements to walking, cycling and public transport options across the city, if Cardiff was to realise its climate change ambitions and reduce reliance on

the private motor car. The 2020 White Paper argued for a raft of new transport options. Cheaper and better bus routes, new train and tram lines and an improved cycling network which could all help deliver a cleaner and healthier city, better able to play its part in tackling climate change.

Over the coming months and years, the council will be asking residents, business, commuters and stakeholders for their views on proposals to bring the road user payment scheme forward.

Council leader Cllr Huw Thomas said: “There are so many potential benefits at play here. Reducing carbon emissions will naturally help us tackle air pollution and climate change, but that’s not all. We also believe that a payment could help reduce congestion. The cost of congestion to the economy in Cardiff was estimated by INRIX to be £109m in 2019. If we can reduce congestion, we can improve everyone’s ability to get where they need to be in the city more quickly. This can open-up job opportunities for people and labour markets for employers, delivering a positive economic impact across the city.”

The payment options

If the new report’s ideas are agreed by Cardiff Council’s cabinet, the council will consider a range of road payment schemes including, but not limited to, road user payments; congestion zones; clean air zones; and workplace parking charges. It would also determine, in consultation with the public, on what a ‘fair and equitable’ payment might look like.

Traffic congestion in Cardiff

The project work will also consider any local users that may need to be exempt, reimbursed, or who qualify for discounts. It will seek to reduce impacts on the poorest residents, and on regular users in the city and region. An example of this is London, where residents qualify for a 90% discount on the congestion charge if they live within the ULEZ zone.

Paving the way

To help reassure the public that a road user payment could play a part in helping deliver change, the new report recommends that key transport improvements should be up and running in advance of any payment being introduced in Cardiff.

Cardiff Council would work in partnership with the Welsh Government, and use both grant funding and borrowing on future income from the scheme, to enhance public transport to help people reduce their reliance on the private car.

Initiatives that could be available before any road user payment was introduced include:

• the introduction of £1 bus fares on key routes

• better and expanded bus services

• the delivery of the Phase 1 tram from Central Station to Pierhead Station in the Bay, Coryton and City Line frequency enhancements

• improvements to regional commuting.

Once any scheme is introduced, the money raised, alongside government funding contributions, could then help bring forward the following initiatives:

• a Metro city-wide tram system including Crossrail in city area and Circle line

• a prioritised bus network across the city with reliable turn-upand-go services – targeting a 100% increase in bus ridership

• delivery of an electric bus and taxi fleet

• support for the development of wider regional commuter/shopper Metro and bus network

• the completion of the Eastern Bay Link, which in conjunction with enhancements to the city centre highway network would enable better traffic flow around the wider city circumference

• sustainable travel incentives such as travel discounts, tickets, bike purchase vouchers.

Cllr Dan De’Ath, Cardiff’s cabinet member for transport and strategic planning, said: “Many major UK cities have already taken, or are currently considering this step. A form of road user payment helps achieve their low carbon, clean air, and transport aims and objectives. In consultation with residents, businesses, and commuters, we want to explore how such a payment could provide funds which – when considered as part of wider funding arrangements – could completely transform the transport offer in Cardiff. We want the people of Cardiff to help us build this new future together.”

Cardiff’s poor air quality

Currently, road transport is responsible for 40% of C02e (carbon) emissions in Cardiff. This is the joint highest C02e figure measured for road transport among the UK’s 11 core cities, which include Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Sheffield.

It is estimated that air pollution reduces average life expectancy in the UK by 7-8 months. In towns and cities with air pollution levels above the UK average, including Cardiff, this figure is likely to be even higher. Evidence indicates that air pollution affects us all and is associated with impacts on lung development in children, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and exacerbates asthma, among other ill-health effects.

Cardiff, in particular, is a victim of this with a higher prevalence of asthma than the European average. Seven per cent of adults in Cardiff have been diagnosed with asthma, and over 9,000 Cardiff residents are registered with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Six percent of children aged 10-14 have asthma in Wales

Leading the way on road pricing

Cardiff Council leader Huw Thomas sets the scene

Cardiff Council knows our residents want action on climate change and they want the air their children and their loved ones breathe to be cleaner. We know residents want to see electric buses and taxis serve the city, to have new train/tram links and stations, to drive on better maintained roads, with safe cycling and walking routes. We know they see the queues of traffic and know the damage this is causing to their health and the environment, whilst also strangling the city’s economy. It’s clear that action is needed if we are going to change the dial on this. Reducing these figures will require us to look at the way we live and the way we travel.

Cardiff needs and deserves a cleaner and a greener transport system. However, funding this will likely only be possible by the introduction of some form of low-cost road user payment which would have exemptions for those least able to pay. Before any such scheme was introduced, we will clearly have to make improvements to the current transport system so people have options to reduce their reliance on the car.

We would need better, enhanced, and cheaper bus routes, alongside improvements to regional commuting options, and visible signs of a new tram network in the city. A working public transport system can have a hugely positive impact on those who have to travel by road. And our transport system certainly does not work for the huge numbers of people who rely on it the most. The people and communities who rely on public transport are often the worst served by our bus and train services. They are also breathing the dirtiest air and suffering the worst rates of childhood asthma and other illnesses. Improving our transport system is essential if we are to connect some of our most disadvantaged communities with the opportunities that are available in the city.

I understand that there will be those who say that ‘This is just another tax when the country is facing a cost-of-living crisis?’ So let me address that head on. The current levels of traffic in Cardiff are costing the average resident hundreds upon hundreds of pounds each year and holding our economy back. That’s on top of the environmental and health damage caused by congestion. So, it’s imperative that we create a transport system where everyone – in particular our poorest and most disadvantaged communities – can be better connected with the jobs and opportunities we know are available in the city.

We also know that, in Cardiff, the lowest levels of car ownership are amongst young people, those who are disabled, those living in the southern arc and those from a minority ethnic background. As a result, they are entirely reliant on public transport. So, the people that are being hit the hardest by the cost-of-living crisis now will be the ones that benefit the most if a scheme is introduced in four of five years’ time, when hopefully we will all face a better economic climate.

Cllr Huw Thomas is leader of Cardiff Council

All-weather parking plan for stately home

The National Trust has submitted a planning application relating to visitor access and parking improvements at Belton House in Lincolnshire.

The plans submitted to South Kesteven District Council state the trust wants to solve drainage issues in the car park by providing a new all-weather parking layout.

The trust also wants to introduce electric vehicle charging points and erect ticket kiosks that will allow people to pay for their visits in the car park.

The new proposals replace a plan to introduce a one-way system using the Lion Gates as an entrance to the National Trust mansion.

The National Trust had intended visitors at Belton House to arrive through the reopened Lion Gate, near Grantham, and use a one-way system around the property.

However this idea prompted complaints from local residents worried about increased amounts of traffic. This plan was withdrawn in March after consultation with highways, the parish council and the public.

The new plan proposes using the existing entrance to the property near Belton village. Planning documents submitted to South Kesteven District Council read: “All vehicles will arrive via the existing vehicle access point from Belton village, north of the house and stables. Once south of the house, all vehicles will take the western road through the site.”

The road would be widened to enable coaches to reverse into parking bays and then leave by the same route.

It is envisaged that people arriving by car will purchase tickets from two new kiosks without having to leave their vehicles. The documents state: “This will allow visitors to explore the park and house at their leisure once parked, without the need to make

their way to the visitor reception building to purchase tickets.”

The new ticketing procedure will allow the visitor reception to be turned into a access hub, which will provide toilets close to the car park. Existing accessible parking spaces that are close to the access hub and children’s play area would be retained, and there will be space for eight electric vehicles to recharge.

Improvements to surface water drainage around the site will create an all-weather car park to replace the current one which gets water-logged.

The application said: “The proposals will provide improved visitor access to the site. The car park re-surfacing will provide a permanent solution to current car park issues which have led to drainage problems, unsightly damage to the parking area and created access issues for those with buggies and mobility issues. The visitor experience will be further enhanced through provision of improved accessible facilities, including changing places, WCs and rationalisation of pedestrian routes to aid in orientation and understanding of the site.”

When the original one-way plans were withdrawn in March, Ian Cooper, manager of Belton House, said: “We haven’t taken the decision lightly. It’s the right decision based on finding the balance between continuing with the submission and seeing what happens, and taking into account the concerns that have been raised and maintaining those community relationships.

“It took months of discussion and consultation before we submitted the plan and it was deemed at the time the best option available. However, another key part of my responsibility is to build strong relationships with the community, so responding decisively and positively to the concerns that have been raised seemed the right thing to do.”

National Trust revises Belton House visitor parking proposals

Belton House

Visitor parking areas would be upgraded

Cheddar Gorge parking made safer

Longleat Estate moves to prevent threat posed by falling rocks

Falling rocks at Cheddar Gorge will lead to parking spaces being removed from a car park within the Mendip Hills Area of Natural Beauty. A new embankment known as a bund will be built by Longleat Estate on the parking area that sits on the B3135 Cliff Road between High Rock and Arch Rock.

There are currently 37 parking spaces available for motorists – but this will be cut by nine to make space for the bund, leaving 28 spaces for cars and vans.

The bund will be constructed using 300 tonnes of rock that is already on site following rock safety work carried out in this section of the gorge. The rocks will be covered with inert soil transported into the site once construction is complete.

A spokesman for architect Benjamin & Beauchamp, representing Longleat, said: “The

existing lay-by area and road is not fully protected from falling rocks at the foot of the cliff, and this has proven to be a major safety concern for the public and for road users.

“As the land naturally gullies down towards this lay-by, with it being the location of steep cliff faces, falling rocks from the cliffs navigate into the site. This therefore creates a hazardous and high-risk point along the gorge, requiring extra protection from these falling rocks

Dartmoor parking charge increase

Dartmoor National Park Authority is to increase its parking charges.

The authority said its financial situation had resulted in a series of difficult decisions lately, including a review of parking fees.

The park authority said this is the first increase in five years.

The funds raised will be reinvested in maintaining car park surfaces, looking after toilets, improving accessibility and supporting conservation work.

to members of the public.

“It is proposed to build a bund forward of the existing bund at the base of the cliff, to give an extra layer of protection as well as giving protection to areas where the existing bund does now.

“There are currently many alternative parking locations available along the gorge and more parking is currently being allocated at the bottom of the gorge; therefore, this reduction is considered negligible.”

The authority will also be installing electric vehicle charging points. There is a chargepoint at Haytor and others planned for Postbridge and Princetown.

The cost of using car parks will increase at Haytor, Lydford, Meldon Reservoir, Postbridge and Princetown’s car parks from 1 May.

Car drivers are to be charged £3 for up to three hours and £5 for longer.

Fees for minibus and coaches will increase to £10 for a day. Blue Badge holders will pay £3. Parking remains free for motorcycles.

BENJAMIN & BEAUCHAMP

The planned bund in the car park on the B3135 Cliff Road

Manual for Smart Streets released

Online guide offers advice on transport, data and EV charging

A new manual to provide guidance to support local authorities in implementing technology that supports traffic management and the operation of streets has been launched.

The Manual for Smart Streets has been produced by the Transport Technology Forum (TTF) and Connected Places Catapult and was launched at the TTF Conference in Leeds.

The online resource includes use cases on how traffic signals will develop to connect to vehicles into the future and how new sources of data can link into implementing other services in the local authority. It also provides recommendations around cyber security.

The Manual for Smart Streets is based on the success of the Manual for Streets which, in the 15 years since its publication, has become an essential document for anyone delivering a local road network. It is hoped that the Manual for Smart Streets

will become a sister resource to the earlier report.

The manual was written by Daniel Hobbs, principal technologist at the Connected Places Catapult. “The manual will help local authorities understand the equipment and new technologies that are out there,” said Hobbs.

“It contains evidence about solutions that have been imple-

Bus hopping Edinburgh attendants

A trial to crack down on drivers parking in bus lanes will see City of Edinburgh parking attendants taking to the city’s buses. The initiative aims to improve bus reliability and journey times by reducing disruption caused by incorrectly parked vehicles.

The parking attendants will travel on specific Lothian Buses routes identified as experiencing issues with vehicles blocking bus lanes.

Attendants will be able to disembark buses to move on or issue parking tickets to any drivers breaking the rules and board the next bus on the

same route.

Cllr Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener, said: “We already have an excellent bus service in Edinburgh, relied on by many, and our bus lanes are really important to making sure services can run smoothly and on time, especially during peak hours. This trial will let parking attendants target hotpots in real-time, where drivers continue to park inconsiderately. We’ll continue monitoring its effectiveness to make sure we’re focussing on the right areas.”

mented, evidence that they work so that business cases can be written based on knowledge that the new technology is proven.”

The manual contains a series of use cases and resources addressing specific functional areas to assist in both the understanding of how an authority might implement the solutions in its own locality, and also the

arguments needed to build a business case for investment:

• Asset management

• EV charging information

• Parking management

• Public transport

• Traffic management

• Road user information

• Transport data management

• Signal control

• Vulnerable road users’ safety

• Cyber security.

“The Manual for Smart Streets is a major new reference document for local authorities to guide authorities in using technology to deliver service, both existing and new,” explained Darren Capes, ITS policy lead at the Department for Transport.

“The manual is written to help ensure that every local authority starts to think about the fact that the coming ten years will see a change in transport in a way that we haven’t seen before in our lifetimes, and I think people need to appreciate that need to have the skills to be ready to react to that.”

The Manual for Smart Streets is on the TTF website: ttf.uk.net/manual-for-smart-streets/

East Lothian tackles overnight stays

Overnight parking is to be banned at number of coastal car parks run by East Lothian Council in Scotland.

The council’s cabinet agreed to start the statutory procedures necessary to introduce and amend Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders to prohibit overnight parking at coastal car parks.

Cllr John McMillan, spokesperson for environment, economic development and tourism, said: “East Lothian’s coast and beaches are popular attractions for both local residents and visitors alike but since the start of the pandemic there has been a considerable increase in the number of vehicles parking overnight.

“Many of these visitors are choosing to camp in and near beach areas and within the car parks themselves and unfortunately this has led to an increase in anti-social activities including damage to the delicate environment through the lighting of fires and barbecues, littering and human waste.

“The increase in vehicles has included a considerable number of campervans and motorhomes selecting to park overnight at the coastal car parks rather than designated camp sites. As these car parks are designed for day visitors they don’t have the facilities to support such overnight stays and further damage has been identified caused by the unlawful emptying of chemical toilets.

“The new Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) approved today are for a period of 18 months only which will provide opportunities to assess effectiveness at tackling incidents of anti-social behaviour at our popular coastal sites.

“Tourism is extremely important to the local economy and the council is working with partners in the private sector to support the creation of suitable sites for campervan and motorhome visitors that provide the essential services needed for their stay.”

Lothian Buses wants to see bus lanes kept clear

Liverpool report reveals ‘unacceptable culture’

Cancellation of

Liverpool City Council has released information about parking penalty notices issued to elected members that were cancelled between 2015 and 2020.

The interim chief executive of Liverpool City Council has said the historic cancellation of parking fines for councillors showed an “unacceptable culture”.

The disclosure follows a Freedom of Information request. The city council said it has taken a considerable amount of time and effort to pull together the response due to gaps in records. Further work is ongoing to ensure that all documents that can be made public are disclosed.

The Freedom of Information request by the Liverpool Echo newspaper showed 51 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were challenged and rescinded by councillors at the authority between April 2015 and December 2020.

The city council is being partially overseen by government commissioners after a critical inspection report which followed the arrest of then-mayor Joe Anderson, along with a number of other people, in December 2020 as part of a Merseyside Police fraud investigation.

Interim chief executive Theresa Grant, who took over after Tony Reeves stepped down

last year, said: “We have released historic information about parking penalty charge notices issued to elected members that were cancelled between 2015 and 2020. It highlights previous poor practice, relating to past processes and scrutiny of the way the council used to be run.

“It is, sadly, an example of the unacceptable culture that pervaded parts of the council in the past, as documented in the ‘best value’ inspection report. I want to be clear that what happened historically is no reflection of the council’s current parking services staff nor management team.

“It is important to remember that much has changed at Liverpool City Council and we

are now a more mature organisation, one that is open and transparent about decisionmaking.”

As part of an improvement journey following the publication of the ‘best value’ inspection report by Max Caller in 2021, the council said it has made many changes to its governance systems and processes.

Any elected member querying a ticket should have been directed to the standard appeals process for parking tickets. The council concedes such a process would have ensured that an authorised appeals case handler would have considered the response in a fair and appropriate way. Councillors receiving a parking ticket are now advised

Hampshire County Council takes control on-street

Responsibility for on-street parking services across Hampshire has returned to the county council. From 1 April the management of on-street parking services, including parking enforcement, new parking controls and residents’ parking permits became the direct responsibility of Hampshire County Council.

The county already manages on-street parking services within the district and borough authority areas of Fareham, Gosport, New Forest and Test Valley and, at the beginning of next month, this responsibility will expand to cover Basingstoke, Eastleigh, East Hampshire, Havant, Hart and Rushmoor.

Winchester will follow suit from 1 October 2023, although requests for new or amended parking controls in the Winchester district will be dealt with by the county council from 1 April.

The county council’s executive lead member for universal services, Cllr Nick Adams-King, said: “Historically, on-street parking management has been delegated to local district and borough councils to carry out on our behalf. However, from 2020, this role has been transferring back to the county council.

“At the start of this financial year, as well as managing on-street parking enforcement, we will also be responsible for the introduction of new parking controls such as yellow line and disabled parking bays, and overseeing the existing residential parking schemes, including the issuing of new permits across all parts of Hampshire.”

Since 1 April 2023, the county council’s parking services provider NSL has taken over responsibility for parking enforcement. Customers will continue to be able to pay for parking using the same

to go through the standard appeals process.

Current mayor Joanne Anderson said an internal audit of parking services will pick up issues arising from the disclosure. She said: “The cabinet and I have been working hard since my election as mayor in May 2021 to change the culture of the council to one that is fully focussed on delivering best value for its residents.

“We cannot change what happened in the past but it is vital that we learn from it and make sure we are as transparent as possible when it comes to decision-making, with the correct governance and audit procedures in place.”

Lead commissioner Mike Cunningham said: “The information released today shines a light on the poor practices that have been all too common in Liverpool City Council. However, it is information that the public have a right to know and, although it has taken too long for this information to be shared, we welcome the transparent approach the council is now taking to publishing it.”

The commissioners were appointed to oversee parts of the local authority in 2021 after the inspection report found allegations of bullying and intimidation. Last August, it was announced that government intervention would be expanded to include governance and financial decision-making following another critical report.

methods as they do currently.

All new on-street residents’ parking permits have become digital, rather than paper-based, although current permits will remain valid until the date of their expiry. All new permits issued by Hampshire County Council will need to be applied for via MiPermit, which will allow residents to apply through an app, online, or over the telephone. Residents themselves will be able to activate visitor permits and make changes, such as updating their vehicle details, and changes will show immediately on the enforcement officers handheld terminals. For 2023-24 residents parking permit charges will remain at the same price as currently charged by each district and borough council.

Responsibility for car parks and offstreet parking will remain with the district and borough councils except for Durngate Car Park in Winchester which is already managed by the county council.

elected members’ PCNs was due to ‘poor practices’

Theresa Grant

Micro-logistics hub opened in central London

A car park in London is serving as the base for a zero-emission last-mile delivery operation which will see online purchases delivered by electric cargo bikes.

Based in the Q-Park Pimlico parking facility, the micro-logistics hub will receive parcels from an electric delivery vehicle and then distribute them by electric cargo bikes in Westminster and the surrounding area.

The trial is backed by Cross River Partnership (CRP), a nonprofit and impartial partnership organisation, which is co-funding the 6-month trial with Westminster City Council.

The hub is being operated by Infinium Logistics and deliveries are carried out by Delivery Mates zero-emission couriers.

The project is part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London (CALL) programme, which aims to move more freight into London via river rather than road, supported by zero-emission delivery methods and micro logistics hubs in central London.

Susannah Wilks, director, Cross River Partnership, said: “The micro-logistics hub trial with Westminster City Council, Infinium Logistics and Delivery Mates forms part of the Defrafunded Clean Air Logistics for London programme and aims to better air quality across the City of Westminster.”

Micro-logistics hubs are small, secure spaces that couriers and operators can use to receive, sort, and send deliveries in central locations, ideally by

cargo bike or walking porters, to support zero-emission lastmile deliveries in the City of Westminster.

Infinium Logistics, which says its mission is to decarbonise, electrify and optimise the first to last-mile delivery sectors, has created the Hyperlocal Logistics Hub within Q-Park Pimlico on Cumberland Street.

The area has had security fencing erected, entrance gates, and the necessary electrics installed to allow the secure park and charge of e-cargo bikes and dedicated space to carry out distribution activities.

The micro-hub acts as a crucial step for consolidating deliveries, bulk-buying, and a place to sort deliveries, which can reduce the number of polluting vehicle trips and congestion. It is estimated that cargo e-bikes will deliver about 2,000 parcels a day from the hub to residents and businesses, thereby reducing congestion, pollution, and fatalities.

Delivery Mates, the company appointed to run the hub, will receive goods on electric vehicles at the micro-logistics hub and then deliver them on elec-

tric cargo bikes to the local area. Loading and unloading will take place within the car park to respect residents’ wellbeing and keep noise levels at minimum. Delivery Mates operates five existing hubs in London and have shared important data and insights, such as CO2 emissions savings and the number of parcel collections and deliveries.

Researchers at the University of Westminster used GPS data to compare routes taken by cargo bikes in London with routes that vans would have to take to deliver the same parcels. Results show that services provided by cargo bikes in London are 1.61 times faster than that performed by van, which in a year saves over 14,500kg of CO2 and over 20kg of NOx (nitrogen oxides).

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management and air quality, said: “Westminster has some of the worst air quality in London and making improvements to reduce pollution and emissions is a key priority for us. We’re taking steps to reduce petrol or diesel car travel where we can, and this new micro-logis-

Cargo bikes offer greener alternative to vans

Cargo bikes and e-cargo bikes offer a greener alternative to diesel vans, not only for deliveries, but also for tradespeople and small businesses that need to transport equipment, tools and goods in cities.

A report by the London Assembly Economy Committee explores how businesses in the capital can be incentivised to make a shift away from diesel vans and towards using cargo bikes for their deliveries and other jobs. It also compares the opportunities and incentives, for businesses, of transitioning to cleaner and

greener transport modes, including electric vans and cargo bikes.

The London Assembly economy committee recognises that businesses are much more likely to switch to cargo bikes if there is a cost-neutral solution. Subsidies, trials and scrappage schemes may be needed to enable the level and pace of transition to decarbonised vehicles that London needs.

The Mayor of London should also lobby central government to introduce a further round of funding for local authorities to

tics hub operating in the heart of Westminster has an important part to play in this by promoting healthy, greener and more efficient deliveries in our city and so we can build a fairer environment in Westminster for everyone.”

Amarjit Pall, hyperlocal hubs channel director, Infinium Logistics, said: “We can see that cargo bikes are becoming an increasingly popular inner-city sustainable solution for final mile collection and delivery, that is why the number of hubs we operate continues to expand in the UK and throughout other parts of Europe. The stats prove it’s the right way to go with the average diesel van emitting 241g CO2 per km. By comparison, cargo bikes have zero tailpipe emissions!”

Kevin Savage, chief operating officer at Delivery Mates said: “We are hugely proud to be working with all the partners on this exciting project. Opening a micro logistics hub in Pimlico will further strengthen Delivery Mates capability to deliver sustainable logistics to customers, residents and local retailers. We look forward to playing a part in reducing congestion, removing emissions and creating a safer delivery environment for all stakeholders within Westminster.”

Adam Bidder, managing director of Q-Park UK, said: “Q-Park have been at the forefront of the European parking industry in the creation of sustainable mobility hubs. Our aim is to develop parking facilities into vital instruments to help realise urban accessibility, sustainability and liveability. We are therefore delighted for our latest scheme with Infinium Logistics and Westminster Council is being launched.”

procure e-cargo bikes, to support the growth of e-cargo bikes in London.

Hina Bokhari AM, chair of the economy committee, said: “Cargo bikes and e-cargo bikes can be the greener alternative to diesel vans, not only for deliveries, but also for tradespeople and small businesses that need to transport equipment, tools, and goods around the city.”

A Transport for London plan to help councils, businesses and the freight and servicing industry switch to cargo bikes for deliveries was unveiled by London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman on 31 March.

Cross River Partnership and Westminster City Council work with Infinium Logistics

Full steam ahead for hospital park & ride

Welsh heritage railway steps in as Carmarthen P&R marked for closure, reports Rhodri Clark

A Welsh NHS board is finalising plans for hospital staff to park at a steam railway station as a long established park & ride service succumbs to funding shortages.

Glangwili Hospital is on the north western outskirts of Carmarthen. The PR1 park & ride bus service was designed to ease pressure on car parking at the hospital and reduce the number of cross-town car trips. Some motorists may opt to bypass the town centre by taking a longer route along the A40, but the AA Journey Planner recommends using the A4242 and A484 through the centre of the historic town of Carmarthen.

The PR1 service, operated by local business Morris Travel, departs every 30 minutes from a car park at the United Counties Showground in Nant-y-ci, west of the town. This is conveniently sited near the A40, the trunk road into Carmarthen from the hospital’s western catchment area.

The service is also by shoppers and others visiting the town centre, as well as Glangwili hospital staff, outpatients and visitors. Parking at Nant-y-ci is free and a day return ticket to the town centre or hospital costs £1, with free travel for holders of bus passes or accompanied children.

The park & ride will close on 16 June. Edward Thomas, Carmarthenshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “The cessation of the PR1 service was amongst a wide range of budget saving proposals put forward to our residents in January and we have also consulted with Hywel Dda University Health Board, who part fund the service.

“The decision to bring this service to an end is due to the significant financial pressures placed upon our council, and indeed all local authorities, the low number of passengers that utilise the service and the significant number of alternative bus services that will keep Nant-y-ci, the town centre and the hospital well connected.”

Andrew Carruthers, executive director of operations for Hywel Dda UHB, said:

“Parking at Glangwili hospital continues to be a challenge for our patients, visitors and staff due to insufficient space on our site for the number of vehicles visiting the site. While the park & ride facilities have been in place for some time, we are aware that the passenger numbers are very low and understand the council’s need to make these changes.

“We would like to reassure members of our community that improving parking facilities and access to the hospital continues to be a priority for the health board. We are working with Gwili Railway to finalise plans for their site that will enable staff to access 144 parking spaces, relieving the significant pressure on the hospital site during peak visitor times.

“We are also working on plans that will provide an additional 50 parking bays at Glangwili as part of the women and children’s centre development that will be completed during the summer.”

The Gwili Railway is a volunteer-led visitor attraction which offers trips on vintage steam and diesel trains along part of the former railway from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth. The car park at its southern terminus adjoins the northern end of the Glangwili Hospital site. Its main operating

days from spring to autumn are Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Currently the PR1 service is used by an average of 4.3 passengers per vehicle trip. This is a low number in comparison with city park & ride buses, but the PR1 operates in a rural area. As with any bus service, there are peaks and troughs in demand during the day. Vehicle trips to Nant-y-ci in the morning may be empty or nearly empty but are unavoidable because the bus has to return to the park & ride site to collect passengers travelling to the town centre and hospital. The same may also apply in reverse in the evening. Each empty or nearly empty trip would affect the service’s average loading figure, masking the loadings on the busiest trips of the day.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some staff at Glangwili hospital said they were unable to use the park & ride service because it did not operate when their shifts began or ended. The bus runs on Mondays to Fridays only, from 7.30am to 6.25pm. In February 2020 a second service, the PR2, was added to provide a half-hourly service in the evenings, with the last bus leaving the hospital at 9.45pm. It also provided an earlier journey from Nant-y-ci to the hospital, before the PR1 started its operating day.

Carmarthen bus station

The Gwili Railway

A Carmarthen P&R bus

London ULEZ expansion faces Judicial Review

Councils win right to challenge Mayor’s plan, reports Deniz Huseyin

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is to be challenged by five local authorities in the High Court later this year. Four London boroughs –Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow – and Surrey County Council were granted permission for a Judicial Review.

In February, the five Conservative councils put forward five grounds for challenging the mayor’s plans, but have only been given permission to proceed with two of them:

• failure to comply with relevant statutory requirements

• whether the mayor properly considered the previous “buffer zone” approach as a material consideration in relation to the scrappage scheme.

The three rejected grounds were:

• unlawful failure to consider expected compliance rates in outer London

• failure to carry out any cost benefit analysis

• inadequate consultation and/or apparent predetermination arising from the conduct of the consultation.

The ULEZ currently covers the capital as far as, but not including, the North and South Circular Roads. Under the mayor’ plans, it will extend to cover all London boroughs on 29 August.

A Bromley spokesperson said: “The hearing of the claim is likely to be listed in the week commencing Monday 3 July or shortly thereafter.”

Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council, said: “We welcome the fact that these concerns will now be heard by the High Court, with the outcome a matter for the court to determine. Our principled opposition to the expanded ULEZ remains undi-

Welsh engine idling fines will rise

Welsh legislation on air and noise pollution includes a proposed duty for drivers to be advised against letting engines idle, as well as increasing the fines which can be imposed for idling..

The Welsh Government’s Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill was introduced to the Senedd on 20 March. It includes powers to prescribe a financial range, rather setting a fixed value, for penalties.

Welsh climate change minister Julie James has said that current fines were not deterring drivers.

“The Bill will do two things,” she said. “It will put a duty on people to be given advice very firmly about it. We will work with the schools and other places where vulnerable people are – so hospitals and care homes are the obvious other ones –to make sure that advice is given to visitors and residents. We will work with the schoolchildren, who are an enormous resource in this regard. In

terms of doing the right thing with them as well, but in the end if somebody is just not prepared to comply because it’s the right thing to do, then having the power to set a monetary range that would actually make a difference to that person, and might make them think twice about it, is very important.

“The current penalty of £20 is clearly not having that effect; it clearly isn’t enough to deter people. So putting a monetary range in regulations will facilitate that enforcement and, again, the point about putting it in the regulations is to make sure that – as we’re currently living through an age of rampant inflation, for goodness’ sake – if I put it on the face of the Bill and it’s £50, £50 might not be worth very much at all in two years’ time. So making sure that the regulations are fit for purpose and that the range can be reconsidered regularly will be an important part of this.”

minished. We will continue to stand up for residents and the many businesses who face an even more uncertain future. We are standing up for what is right, which includes clean air, with Bromley’s excellent record in this regard already plainly evident within the mayor’s own research papers.”

Ian Edwards, leader of Hillingdon Council, said: “We remain confident that the court will see that the mayor failed to follow due process, that his proposed scrappage scheme is inadequate, the irreparable harm ULEZ expansion would have on outer London and its neighbours, and that it will rightfully quash

these disastrous plans.”

Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council, said: “Our consultation response in July 2022 clearly highlighted that the mayor’s decision failing to include Surrey residents in any scrappage scheme was unacceptable, and proposed a number of other recommendations to help mitigate both the financial and potential environmental impacts of the expansion. Our concerns have not been addressed by the mayor.”

A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said: “The mayor is pleased to see the court has refused permission for the majority of the grounds. We will continue to robustly defend his life-saving decision to expand the ULEZ and continue with preparations without delay. It is a shame that some local authorities have chosen to attempt this costly and misguided legal challenge instead of focussing on the health of those they represent.

“Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely every year due to air pollution. This is a health emergency and the mayor is not prepared to stand by and do nothing while Londoners are growing up with stunted lungs and are more at risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia due to our toxic air.”

Call for Irish workplace parking levy

The head of Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council has called on the Irish government to introduce a levy on workers who get free parking in towns and cities.

Marie Donnelly told the Oireachtas Transport Committee there is a provision in the 2008 Finance Bill under section 18(b) to calculate free parking as an additional benefit. Donnelly pointed out legislation is already in place to achieve this. She said sufficient measures have not been identified to achieve Ireland’s target of a 50% reduction in transport emissions from 2018 levels by 2030.

Donnelly said what is an ambitious target will require an early and fundamental shift in the Irish transport system. “There needs to be some pro rata for the privilege of having free parking,” she said. “Free parking is worth on average

€20 per day and that’s worth around €5,000 per year. We’re not saying ‘take the car away from people’, but if they are getting €5,000 a year of parking, it’s not an outrageous suggestion to say they should pay a levy and that funding should be used to further invest in alternative options that are available. It’s already on the statute books here in Ireland it was just never implemented.”

Donnelly criticised the time it takes for planning decisions to be made. She said: “Ireland’s planning system needs to be sufficiently resourced to be able to adjudicate and act on the rollout of public transport projects. One area of concern for the Climate Change Advisory Council is the speed at which the planning system operates and the fact that this is a delay factor in the roll-out of new public transport projects.”

The ULEZ expands across London on 29 August

Call for safe and secure HGV parking

Road hauliers, MPs and parking providers deliver letter and petition to 10 Downing Street

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has handed an open letter and petition to 10 Downing Street calling for more safe and secure parking for truckers and coach drivers. The RHA is concerned that poor conditions and insecure sites mean many lorry drivers now believe they can do better parking offsite.

The RHA is also pushing for more safe and secure parking. The government’s National Survey of Lorry Parking Spaces found that usage of overnight parking facilities across the country is at a near critical level, with more than 100 sites fully used and a third of all lorries parked in laybys and industrial estates over the survey period.

The RHA estimates an additional 11,000 parking spaces are needed, particularly in the South-East, East Midlands and East of England where usage rates are over 90%.

The open letter calls for the Prime Minister to take action to provide more safe and secure overnight parking spaces for hauliers and coach drivers, specifically:

• Establish a cross-departmental taskforce to review existing driver facilities and work with industry, operators, and local authorities on a viable long-term solution to increase available facilities across the country.

• Reform the existing planning framework, working with local authorities to ensure that appropriate parking plans are developed to meet industry needs.

• Commit to the increased funding for roadside facilities, looking at both quantity and quality.

Parliamentarians signed the open letter, which was co-ordinated by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Road

Freight and Logistics. The APPG argues that improved facilities should be central to the government’s plans to recruit, train and support commercial vehicle drivers.

Greg Smith MP, chair of the APPG on Road Freight and Logistics, said: “A key element of the issues around driver recruitment and retention is the poor state of our roadside facilities. It is imperative the UK ups our game, ensuring drivers have safe, secure, comfortable, and affordable options that they know they can rely on.”

The RHA says this situation leads to drivers taking rest periods in insecure locations such as laybys and industrial estates often. There they have no access to basic facilities, and no protection from criminals looking to steal valuable loads and fuel.

The MPs joined thousands of signatories including truckers on an RHA petition pressing the government to do more to tackle the poor standards commercial vehicle drivers experience at service stations and truck stops.

Richard Smith, RHA managing director, said: “We’re delighted with the support we’re getting from parliamentarians, businesses, people in our industry and the public for

our campaigning to secure better driver facilities on our roads. Commercial vehicle drivers are vital to our economy so better food, toilets, showers, and somewhere safe and secure to sleep are the very least they deserve. We’d like to thank the APPG and thousands in our industry for backing our campaign as we press the government to help us kick-start a new culture for drivers to feel safer and more respected.”

Companies, including service station giant Moto, have also signed up to the campaign and have endorsed an RHA petition to the Prime Minister which has the support of nearly 20,000.

Ken McMeikan, chief executive of Moto Hospitality, said: “Moto are absolutely delighted to support this campaign. We have believed for a long time that the UK’s unsung heroes have been the HGV drivers and they deserve, given the challenges of their role, good, secure conditions where they can rest, eat, sleep and shower. That’s not too much to ask but sadly they are very wanting at the moment in many parts of the UK and we all have to do more.”

The British Parking Association (BPA) was among the organisations signing the petition. It said: “Coach and lorry drivers deserve better roadside facilities, including parking that is safe and secure. That is why we have joined the Road Haulage Association’s campaign lobbying government for action. HGV drivers help to keep our shops stocked and our economy moving. Not only do they deserve better parking facilities but better food, toilets and showers.”

The RHA has worked with road transport software developer Mandata to find ‘The UK’s Kindest Town’. They are asking truckers and others in the industry to nominate their kindest town based on their experiences, including access to safe parking, food and showers.

Greg Smith MP delivers the letter

Onroute Avon Lodge Truck Stop gets award

West Country lorry park receives Park Mark Freight accreditation

The Avon Lodge Truck Stop has received the Park Mark Freight Award. This is a new assessment managed by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives and the British Parking Association that seeks to enhance the lorry parks and the facilities the offer.

Kate Williams, manager of Avon Lodge said: “We have always made security within our lorry park a top priority, we are in the process of investing in additional CCTV cameras and hope this will bring even more reassurance to drivers when they park up for the night. We are very proud to have been accredited by Park Mark Freight and we look forward to being able to display our certificate.”

Chas Cannon, BPA area manager for the South West and South Wales, said: “I am delighted that Avon Lodge has joined the Safer Parking Scheme and has become the second site

in the South West to achieve the Park Mark Freight award. It demonstrates their hard work and commitment to providing a safe environment for all users. It is becoming increasingly more important to provide safe and secure facilities for drivers and their vehicles and I hope others will follow.”

Pete Wozniak, Designing Out Crime officer, said: “It gives me great pleasure to present this award to Onroute Avon Lodge, it demonstrates that safety and

Park Mark Freight award for The Stop

The Stop at The Hollies in Cannock, Staffordshire, has received Park Mark Freight award, which recognises lorry parking facilities that actively deter crime and reduce the fear of crime.

Mike Heaton, head of estate development for roadside services at Certas Energy, said: “We are delighted to have received this prestigious industry award. The commendation helps to reinforce and independently affirm our dedication to improving the safety and security of driver facilities in the UK, one stop at a time.”

Matt Robinson, BPA area manager, said: “We were impressed

with the time and care taken to uphold and champion the highest standards at the site. This award demonstrates the value of the roadside facilities on offer and how important driver welfare, site security, and creating a safe environment is to Certas Energy.”

Kully Tanda, Designing Out Crime officer, from Staffordshire Police said: “The commitment shown by the operators of The Hollies Truck Stop to put in place a range of security measures that will reduce criminal opportunity, providing a more secure and safer environment for hauliers and drivers over the long term is welcomed by Staffordshire Police.”

security measures have been implemented at the site. The facility offers 24-hour staff onsite, CCTV, and good lighting and provides drivers, their vehicles, and goods a secure place to park. The award shows that Onroute Avon Lodge has a clear commitment to the road haulage community.”

Park Mark Freight marks an extension of Safer Parking to truck stops and lorry parks that meets a growing demand for efficient, well-managed, and

high-quality lorry parks and truck stops in order to combat vehicle and cargo crime. The freight industry experiences a high volume of cargo theft and the main Safer Parking Scheme assessment guidelines do not explicitly cover this type of business.

Park Mark Freight builds upon the Safer Parking Scheme’s Park Mark award by introducing essential criteria. The Park Mark is primarily aimed at the prevention of criminal behaviour within the parking environment. It requires owners and operators to adopt an active management strategy to ensure that there is minimal occurrence of crime.

To be granted Park Mark Freight, a parking facility must demonstrate a range of responsibilities, which include low crime, measures in place to enhance the safety of people and vehicles, good management and operations, and exemplary customer service.

Accredited facilities are subject to an annual assessment to ensure these high standards are maintained.

Kate Williams (Avon Lodge), Pete Wozniak (Police Designing Out Crime officer) and Chas Cannon (BPA area manager)

Matthew Robinson (BPA), Kully Tanda (Staffordshire Police) and Mike Heaton (Certas Energy) and Dave Weaver (The Hollies)

Q-Park promotes mobility hubs approach

Operator sets out a ethical and sustainable approach to business

Mobility hubs form a key element of Q-Park’s work to reduce its carbon footprint and better support the communities in which it operates.

The car park operator has a portfolio comprising over 677,000 spaces in over 3,400 facilities in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France and Germany.

Q-Park has been developing mobility hubs which provide access to a variety of mobility solutions. These hubs provide a activities ranging from last-mile logistics, electric vehicle charging, micromobility and car sharing services which help support urban accessibility, sustainability and liveability.

The company’s newly published Annual Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) Report 2022 sets out Q-Park’s social engagement, environmental impact and contribution to

helping meet UN sustainable development goals relevant to its business. The report makes particular reference to the Global Reporting Institute’s GRI 2021 standard to report on the company’s impact on the economy, the environment and people.

During 2022 Q-Park achieved an average carbon footprint per parking space of 45.8kg CO2 (2021: 93.2 kgCO2), a 74% reduction since it started measuring it emissions in 2010.

Emissions are being reduced

POPLA appeals case fee increases

Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA has increased its appeal case fee by £1 per case. The new fee of £27.50 will apply to appeals received from 1 April 2023. This 3.8% increase is the first rise since May 2017.

POPLA hears appeals by drivers contesting parking charge notices issued by companies who are members of the British Parking Association’s Approved Operator Scheme.

POPLA only handles appeals after the recipient of the parking charge notice has been through the internal complaints procedures of the

operator who issued the notice and appeals must be received by POPLA within 28 days from the date of the operator’s notice of rejection.

Sara Roberts, the BPA’s head of the Conformity Assessment Body Transition, said: “From the latest Approved Operator Scheme census, it remains the case that less than 1% of parking charge notices end up at POPLA, with 78% of motorist appeals being rejected after taking the relevant law, the BPA Approved Operator Scheme’s code of practice and evidence provided by both parties into consideration.”

via a range of initiatives such as offering electric vehicle chargepoints. The company reports that it has installed 2,831 EV charging points, an increase of 34% on 2021.

The company is offering online pre-booking at 476 sites, which is a way of reducing parking search time when traffic arrives at a destination. Some 286 car parks offer access to major public transport hubs enabling sustainable mobility choices, with 109 offering bicycle parking, provid-

ing options for active mobility to reach final destinations.

To deliver its CSR ambitions, Q-Park has formed a growing number of strategic partnerships with:

• Partners who support the development mobility hubs with fast charging.

• Logistics organistions who use parking facilities as a base for last mile delivery and storage services.

• Public landlords developing off-street parking to reduce onstreet parking, thereby opening up space for pedestrians and cyclists.

• Private landlords who repurpose car parks from private to public use, thereby decreasing the need for construction work, and all the inconvenience this causes while increasing the lifespan and usage of existing assets.

• Public transport operators who can nudge Q-Park customers to park their car at convenient locations, often at the edge of the city, such as park & ride, and use public transport for part of their journey.

Walker is new BPA vice president

Richard Walker has been elected as the new vice president of the British Parking Association (BPA).

The group manager of the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) has supported the BPA for many years and is currently its council representative for local authorities.

As well as being an advocate for the Positive Parking Agenda and Park Active initiative, he has been the recipient of several British Parking Awards.

Walker will serve as vice president under the next BPA

president, Stuart Harrison of UK Parking Control, when he takes over the office this summer.

Anjna Patel MBE, chair of the BPA board, said: “As a passionate champion of our Positive Parking Agenda and the work of our local authority parking managers, I very much welcome the BPA council’s endorsement of Richard as our next vice president.”

Kelvin Reynolds, the BPA’s chief technical services and governance officer, added: “We are delighted to have Richard in this key role.”

Q-Park’s Annual Corporate and Social Responsibility Report 2022

BPA president Jade Neville with new VP Richard Walker

Parking systems supplier sold

Certina Group buys WPS Parking Solutions

Parking technology group WPS Parking Solutions has been acquired by Certina Group, a German industrial company.

Certina is a family-run industrial holding company, founded, built up and represented by businessman Dr Hans Wehrmann.

The Munich-based group has 25 years of experience in building and reshaping businesses. The group currently comprises around 20 companies generating sales of more than €750m with over 3,000 employees.

The sale of WPS Parking Solutions to Certina will result in the separation of the current WPS organisation.

WPS North, including WPS Belgium, WPS Parking Systems (NL), WPS Canada, WPS UK, WPS US, and WPS Holding, will now be part of Certina portfolio of companies.

WPS North will continue to operate as an individual company under Certina.

WPS Brazil, as an independent company within the WPS family, will not be sold. The current shareholders, local management and Egeria, will continue WPS operations in Brazil and South America in its current form.

Erik Stronk, chief executive at WPS Parking Solutions, said: “We look forward to a bright future that we will realise together with Certina. With its investments made according to

Grid Smarter Cities crowdfunding appeal passes £750k target

Grid Smarter Cities has exceeded the £750,000 target it had set for crowdfunding appeal. As of 1 May, the technology company had raised £774,9000 via the Crowdcube platform.

Grid’s patented Kerb Platform turns the kerbside into a dynamic digital asset that allows the kerb owner (local authorities) to offer up pre-bookable slots to the kerb user (commercial operators).

Kerb is being piloted in cities such as London and Dublin, and has won two ITS UK awards. Grid Smarter Cities has also launched a river-to-road freight pilot in London and is a Department for Transport kerbside panel expert.

A study by transport consultant Stantec suggested Kerb could save 64,500 km of commercial journeys in London every day, and reduce CO2 emissions by 15,000 tons per year and delivery operator savings of 21%.

Grid is planning to use the funds to progress its strategy of deploying ‘proof points’ in various London boroughs and to establish a ‘runway’ into 2023/24 that provides

North American roles for Burton

Lee Burton has been appointed as vice president, head of sales, North America for car park payment system supplier HUB Parking Technology.

He has also been made head of sales in North America for parking services supplier TIBA Parking.

Burton has been heading up HUB Parking Technology UK for the past five years.

recurring revenues and deployment of its services at scale.

Grid’s business plan states it will be negotiating strategic commercial partnerships with global operators as part of its aim of achieving dominance in the emerging kerbside management space.

Founded in 2009 and rebranded to Grid Smarter Cities in 2015, the company was founded by entrepreneur Neil Herron to address the challenges faced by freight, servicing and delivery vehicles in urban areas – a lack of capacity, satisfying competing users and working with complex regulations.

the principles of sustainability, continuity and corporate responsibility, we find the ideal partner in Certina to help us navigate changing market conditions and further invest in our products, employees, and growth.”

Giovanni Santamaria, managing partner at Certina, said: “As a family-owned industrial holding company with a focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility.”

Prior to moving into the systems side of parking, Burton worked in management with roles at operators such as Meteor Parking, Excel Parking Services and Secure Parking (UK) before becoming car park and estate manager for shopping centre operator Westfield.

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

• Civil Enforcement Officers

• Environmental Enforcement Officers

• Parking Back Office (Appeals/Notice Processing/Correspondence)

• Parking Change Management

• Interim Parking Managers

• Car Park Attendants/Marshalls/Stewarding

• Parking Supervisors (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

• Parking Management (Both Enforcement and Back Office)

• Heads of Parking/Directors

• Parking Technologies (Business Development and Project Managers/ Field Service Engineers/General Managers)

• Off Street Parking (Business Development, Contract Managers and Regional Managers)

• CCTV Operators – SIA and BTEC qualified

Looking for staff or need employment?

Please contact our experienced team on:

Tel: 0203 668 5680

Email: parking@unity-recruitment.co.uk

Web: www.unity-recruitment.co.uk

***Parking Experience Essential***

Hendrik Pot, chief financial officer at WPS, Giovanni Santamaria, managing partner at Certina, Erik Stronk, chief executive at WPS

Lee Burton

Delivering MaaS-ive change

For Mobility-as-a-Service to prosper, it must meet mutual needs

Urban mobility services

COLLECTIVE USEINDIVIDUAL USE

PUBLIC ACCESS PRIVATE ACCESS

CHARTERED

This article has been put together by Conduent Transportation to answer the question inferred in the title: what do stakeholders want and what are commuters, transport providers and local authorities looking for from MaaS?

Jade Neville, Head of User Experience, EMEA, Conduent Transportation

Mobility-as-a-Service has been a tagline used for many years with most towns and cities still unsure of what it means to them and how they can integrate it into their existing infrastructure, as well as the new transport options now becoming regularly available, such as bike share, car share and scooters.

Travel expectations of the commuter also continue to change with on-demand services being at the touch of a button. While service providers are continually required to keep up with commuter and market needs, while ensuring they deliver a high quality service to all stakeholders.

The commuter Cities are still polluted and congested after the CO2 emissions peak in 2018. One of the reasons for this is that cars are often still the best door-to-door solutions in cities. The Committee on Climate Change, in its Local Authorities and the Sixth Carbon Budget report, stated that “more than half of the emissions cuts needed rely on people and businesses taking up low-carbon solutions – decisions that are made at a local and individual level.”

Many experts argue that MaaS solutions must be built around travellers’ key expectations if commuter behaviour is to change. These expectations include trust (accurate, real-time travel information, reliable transportation); simplicity (convenient, joined-up and easy-to-use modes of transport); impartiality (access to all); and flexibility (adaptable to changing needs). I would add fulfilment. Commuters, who change not only want to make a difference – to reduce pollution, congestion and their

own carbon emissions – they want proof that they are having an impact. MaaS that can’t demonstrate the effect of change is missing an opportunity.

It is important to focus on simplicity. If MaaS is seen to be overwhelmingly complex, it will dissuade all but the most determined. That’s why the role of the integrators, such as, Conduent Transportation in developing an open platform linking backend providers to frontend customers is crucial.

The transport provider

What do providers want? First and foremost, they are likely to want to know they have a role to play in this shifting world of mobility. Transport providers have traditionally had a one-to-one and direct relationship with the user, which is changing. While service providers have sat behind the local authority and delivered services on their behalf.

MaaS is an ecosystem that requires

SCOOTERSHARING

CARSHARING

BIKESHARING

SERVICES

CARPOOLING

TAXI

SHARED TAXI

RIDEHAILING

RENT-A-BIKE (A-CAR)

ON-DEMAND RIDE-SHARING

BIKE PEDESTRIAN AUTOMATED CAR

MASS PUBLIC TRANSPORT: TRAIN, TRAM, BUS, METRO, WATERBORNE, AV SHUTTLES,...

MaaS INTEGRATED MOBILITY PLATFORM

UITP model of MaaS

cooperation with transport providers and local authorities but also with competitors, too. Providers want to know that their intellectual property will be protected, especially when data-sharing is encouraged for the greater good.

It is also important to understand that as service providers we can all play a part in the commuter journey. From rural areas most journeys will start with the car. So integration is needed with car park operators, so the user knows where parking is available, how much it will cost and where they will pick up the next leg of their journey. The driver may also make decisions based on road user charging schemes on a specific route or whether CCTV enforcement, such as bus lane enforcement could assist in supporting an alternative form of transport earlier in their journey, rather than driving to their final location.

Parking will play a critical role in how people and goods move around our towns and cities, both from traditional parking management of those who car where they shouldn’t or in the rules associated with where you are able to park and for how long.

The local authority

What do providers want? First and foremost, they are likely to want to know they have a role to play in this shifting world of mobility. Transport providers have traditionally had a one-to-one and direct relationship with the user, which is changing. While service providers have sat behind the local authority and delivered services on their behalf.

MaaS is an ecosystem that requires cooperation with transport providers and local authorities but also with competitors, too. Providers want to know that their intellectual property will be protected, especially when data-sharing is encouraged for the greater good.

It is also important to understand that as service providers we can all play a part in the commuter journey. From rural areas most journeys will start with the car. So integration is needed with car park operators, so the user knows where parking is available, how much it will cost and where they will pick up the next leg of their journey. The driver may also make decisions based on road user charging schemes on a specific route or whether CCTV enforcement, such as bus lane enforcement could assist in supporting an alternative form of transport earlier in their journey, rather than driving to their final location.

Parking will play a critical role in how people and goods move around our towns and cities, both from traditional parking management of those who car where they shouldn’t or in the rules associated with where you are able to park and for how long.

What others are doing

Brussels has started this process with SmartMove, a project that rests on 3 pillars: a smart automobile tax system, a growing network of mobility alternatives, and an app that helps you every step of the way. The city that the Brussels government envisions is one that is more liveable, healthier and more prosperous for those who live and work

there, and for all who visit. Better mobility plays a crucial role in this.

It also understands that traffic plays a major part of this and wanted a way to charge based on car use rather than car ownership. Brussels is in the process of rolling out a scheme that will introduce “cost per mile” travelled within the city, while offering a wide range of quality mobility alternatives.

The cost per mile travelled will consider three variables: time of day, distance and engine power, with alternatives offered and savings for change in time of day and transport method used being presented to the commuter.

In France, Syndicat Mixte Intermodal Régional de Transports (SMIRT) represents 14 separate local transportation authorities and covers a population in excess of three million people across the northern region. When SMIRT wanted to simplify the passenger experience and increase the attractiveness of public transport, it asked Conduent to help. Using the Conduent Mobility Companion Platform, we helped create PassPass (passpass.fr) which offers door-to-door trip planning that not only combines public bus and train transportation but includes bike hire and carpooling as well. The service plans routes based on an array of factors including speed of overall journey, number of connections, maximum walking time, price and carbon footprint.

This is MaaS in action. This is Mobility-as-aService as defined by UITP, as: “The integration of, and access to, different transport services… in one single digital mobility offer, with active mobility and an efficient public transport system as its basis.”

While in Helsinki, the Finnish capital has an ambition to be private car-free by 2025. To meet that goal, Helsinki is developing a mobility on demand app that functions as both journey planner and universal payment platform. To ensure a successful outcome, it must fulfil the mutual needs of commuter, provider and local authority. Watch this space.

Let’s start with the kerb

For parking operations, we need to be involved in these conversations locally and share the critical nature of how important it is to manage the kerb successfully with local stakeholders to meet the needs of the service providers and the commuters.

We often see that “car is king” and hear people say they would rather be sat in traffic in their own car than be on a busy train. We need to find innovative ways to break this

down and maybe the management of the kerb is a good place to start?

The uses of the kerb are almost infinite but the space available is not. The competition for the limited kerb space in our towns and cities is not new, but it has changed. While parking may have dominated this space, the number of alternative uses has grown dramatically in recent years. The emergence of today’s new transportation modes like electric scooters and shared bicycles place increased strain on the kerb. The potential deployment of new service offerings, such as autonomous vehicles, would only intensify this.

Low cost or even free parking in our towns and cities makes it an attractive proposition for the commuter, leading to additional pollution, road traffic accidents, and emissions. However, with the support of net zero initiatives, local authorities can and should strive to shift the balance, by reallocating some of the space from traditional parking bays to other functions. These could include bike parking, loading zones, bus lanes, and spaces for car-sharing. Changing the traffic order may not be easy but could be worth the effort. By reprioritising the kerb towards more active, equitably accessible uses, it could make the town or city a safer, healthier, greener, and more vibrant place for all the people who call it home.

Conduent Transportation is a leading provider of automated and analyticsbased smart mobility solutions for government agencies. These solutions span roadway charging and management, parking and kerbside management, and advanced transit and public safety systems. Our intelligent kerbside management systems enable an improved customer experience and provide operational efficiencies by augmenting the integration of people, technology and data for our customers and drivers.

transportation.conduent.com

MaaS is an ecosystem that requires cooperation between transport operators and local authorities

Jade Neville

Strategic Planning Framework

2023-2026

Lead initiatives that set standards in parking and mobility services

Enhance partnerships that leverage and inform our activities

Grow and evolve our schemes and accreditations

Demonstrate our contribution to Net Zero

AN INCLUSIVEANDPROFESSIONAL SECTOR

VISION

A diverse and inclusive membership community that supports a parking and travel experience that exceeds expectations.

Gain insight into what people think about our sector

Inspire & enable a culture of inclusion and diversity

Promote and provide career development opportunities

Encourage continuous professional development

Strengthen our connected membership community

Increase access to knowledge, best practice and thought leadership

Enable excellence in everyone’s membership experience

Enable ef昀cient and effective governance

MEMBERSHIP ADD VALUE TO

PURPOSE

We provide a leading membership community to support parking and traf昀c management professionals to deliver the highest quality services that bene昀t society and the environment.

Deliver effective communications and campaigns

Demonstrate our sector’s value to society

Inform discussion with government and stakeholders

Collaborate with partners that help amplify our voice

A route to the future

The British Parking Association has published a new strategic plan

Inclusivity and diversity are key themes in the British Parking Association’s new strategic framework. The document sets out the direction that the association will take over the next three years. The BPA is a not-for-profit membership association representing the UK’s parking and mobility sector. The association provides a membership community to support parking and traffic management professionals. It represents over 750 corporate members including local government, commercial providers, parking system operators, consultants, and academics. In addition, the association has a separate membership structure for over 650 individuals and a range of benefits to support their professional development.

The BPA’s previous three-year Strategic Plan was developed in consultation with members and agreed by the association’s council and board. The new plan will be reviewed annually and enable the association to focus on the challenges and opportunities facing BPA members and tailor the relevance of their activities to ensure added best value at every stage.

Dave Smith, head of communications and marketing, said: “Our previous plan served us well, but given the increasing drivers of change, it is now timely to adopt a three-year rolling strategic plan that is reviewed annually. This will enable us to remain focussed on the challenges and opportunities facing our members and tailor the relevance of our activities to add value.

“Our new plan has been developed in consultation with our members and reflects what is happening in the wider world, such as: the drive to net zero; technology and innovation; data and

consumer behaviour; and legislative and policy changes by government. The BPA council will review our strategic aims on an annual basis and the BPA board will ensure delivery throughout the year.”

The new strategic plan was unveiled at the BPA Live event in London on 26 April. The launch of the new strategy coincided with the publication of the BPA’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) report.

www.britishparking.co.uk

A strategic vision

The BPA sets out its purpose and vision

Purpose

We provide a leading membership community to support parking and traffic management professionals to deliver the highest quality services that benefit society and the environment.

Vision

Our vision is for a diverse and inclusive membership community that supports a parking and travel experience that exceeds expectations.

The BPA has identified four strategic themes to help deliver its plan:

• Promote an inclusive and professional sector

• Amplify our leading voice

• Add value to membership

• Shape the future and set standards.

Embracing diversity

The BPA is committed to becoming more accessible and inclusive, says Anjna

Patel MBE

Live in London

The British Parking Association’s BPA Live conference featured a series of expert panels discussing how parking can help the economic vitality of towns and boost the transition to electric vehicles. The day was opened by transport minister Richard Holden, who set out the government’s policies on parking. The event was closed by Lembit Opik from the Motorcycle Action Group, who challenged the association to become a more active champion of motorists.

The British Parking Association’s strategic plan is the culmination of more than a year’s worth of consultation between the BPA staff team, BPA council, BPA board and the wider membership. The board members have agreed the organisational objectives – the annual goals of our association –for the next 12 months. Each objective will be assigned to a member of our senior membership team, who will cascade the required deliverables through individual and team objectives. This will help us link our work to the delivery of the strategic plan and ensure our resources are targeted efficiently. Council and board will monitor progress as the year goes on.

As a board, we engage for a common purpose: to build a sense of collaboration and teamwork that will stand us in good stead as we launch our new plan. Collaboration is absolutely vital for any successful business, and it was necessary for us to seek as diverse a range of views as possible.

It is important that, as a sector, we inspire a culture of inclusion and diversity and more equitable environment, especially for women. We are enabling this through initiatives such as Women in Parking, our mentoring scheme, and our support for the government’s tackling violence against women and girls campaign.

We have also launched our much anticipated equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) report. The research carried out in 2022 has provided valuable insights into EDI in our workforce and will inform our future strategy.

Embedded in the new strategic plan is a commitment to deliver a diversity and inclusion policy and action plan for the association, clearly communicated to members.

We will also promote and explore the suitability of apprenticeships and other opportunities, such as signposting to relevant government apprenticeship programmes, to encourage young people to consider a job or career in our sector.

We must ensure that, as an association and a sector, we are more accessible – more open and transparent – and that our public and private sector members work collaboratively to engage and communicate more effectively to achieve our aims.

It is vital that we provide the necessary support and guidance for our local authority members to enable them to meet their carbon emission targets alongside the roll-out of an electric vehicle infrastructure and increasing uptake of EVs.

There is much work to do, both for our board and our talented staff team. I am delighted with our new plan, which I know will be delivered with the drive and determination that is so much part of our association’s values.”

Expert discussions

Liberal Democrat turned libertarian... Lembit Opik

Lembit Opik’s call to arms

An attentive audience

Anjna Patel MBE is chair of the BPA board

Anjna Patel MBE

Parking policy is on the move

Transport minister Richard Holden discussed national parking policy the BPA’s annual conference

The Department for Transport is working with the parking sector to improve road journeys with initiatives including projects to harness the benefits of technology as we move further into the digital age.

National Parking Platform

We all know that working in partnership provides better transport services and I am delighted that the department has been working closely with the British Parking Association (BPA) to develop smarter parking – maximising the benefit of real-time data and IT systems to improve the experience of the user.

Digital data has been the driver behind most smart parking innovations in the last decade and now plays a central role in virtually all aspects of parking. My department provided the BPA with the seed-funding to develop the Alliance for Parking Data Standards, or APDS, which provides a standardised basis for seamless sharing and integration of data across the parking service.

APDS has now been adopted by both the international and

European standard bodies. This is a tremendous achievement and places the UK parking sector at the forefront of smarter parking. It also provides the catalyst for further innovation –including the development of the National Parking Platform (NPP). I am pleased that the NPP is a key issue at today’s conference. The department has funded the pilot platform, led by Manchester City Council, which is successfully demonstrating the power of APDS to change the way the parking system operates, by enabling users to choose the app of their choice when paying for their parking.

The success of the NPP depends on you – the parking sector. We need both local authorities and service providers to work together and embrace the potential. Local authorities need to make sure that they consider joining the Manchester pilot, when it is time to procure their service providers, and to provide contracts with the flexibility to join the NPP later.

We continue to assess the success of the pilot and make progress by developing the business case and demonstrating the security capability of the pilot. And we will, of course, continue to work closely with the BPA and its members to consider funding and governance models which could support wider roll-out.

Active travel priorities

The Department for Transport wants to enable more people to make their everyday journeys on foot or by wheeling or cycling. Active travel is central to many government agendas including

The Minister at BPA Live

green growth; health; the cost of living; regenerating high streets; and levelling up. The department remains committed to the ambitious vision that by 2030 half of all journeys in towns and cities are walked or cycled, as well as to the objectives outlined in the second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

Over the course of this Parliament, the government will be investing around £3bn in active travel from a wide range of funding streams, despite the challenging financial climate.

The government’s new agency, Active Travel England, will support local authorities to develop and build new high-quality walking, wheeling, and cycling routes across England. It will also have a statutory consultee role in the planning system.

The government recognises the importance of active travel in unlocking multimodal journeys, which can reduce congestion, improve safety, and improve air quality, in particular in our town and city centres. As a result, Active Travel England provided £32m funding to local authorities earlier this year through the Capability Fund, to increase capability to plan good active travel infrastructure and integrate it effectively with other modes, including train, bus and park and ride/walk schemes.

Pavement parking

I know that many of you are awaiting with interest the government’s response to our consultation on pavement parking. Overall, it is clearly the case that local authorities are in the best position to decide where pavement parking should or should not be permitted in their local areas. It is the department’s role to ensure they have appropriate and effective tools to prohibit pavement parking where desired.

We understand that pavement parking carries inherent dangers for pedestrians and is particularly difficult for people with sight or mobility impairments, and those with prams or buggies.

However, we also recognise that many towns and cities were not designed to accommodate today’s high traffic levels, and at some locations the pavement may be the only place to park without obstructing the carriageway. But as part of our wider accessible transport agenda, the department committed to review the laws on pavement parking.

To recap, the consultation sought views on the following three options:

• Option 1: Bringing forward existing proposals to reform the TRO process. Removing bureaucracy and digitalising a costly, paper-based system would speed up applications, processing, and communication. This would make it quicker and cheaper for local authorities to implement Traffic Regulation Orders, including for prohibiting pavement parking.

• Option 2: Introduce a new, civilly enforceable offence of obstructive pavement parking. This would enable civil enforcement officers to address instances of unnecessarily obstructive pavement parking as and when they find it.

• Option 3: Legislate for a nationwide ban on pavement parking across England, outside London. This option would establish a general rule against pavement parking except where there is specific permission by way of a local authority exemption. This could be for single streets or wider areas. Motorists would benefit from a consistent rule: ‘you must not park on a pavement except where signs permit.’

I am delighted to say that we had over 15,300 responses to the consultation. Every one of these has been read and analysed and we have been giving careful consideration to the findings. This is an extremely complex issue. All of the options for tackling pavement parking have significant challenges in terms of deliverability and efficacy and we want to take the right step for communities and ensure that local authorities have appropriate and effective tools at their disposal. And, while I cannot commit

to a date right now, we expect to make an announcement in the near future.

Civil enforcement of moving traffic contraventions

As I touched on above, the government recognises the imperative to promote wellbeing by encouraging active travel, alongside our decarbonisation agenda. That is why Gear Change included a commitment to make the moving traffic enforcement powers, under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, available to local authorities outside London. Doing so created parity with London where similar powers have been in force for many years. Enforceable restrictions include no entry, banned turns, driving in formal cycle lanes, and unlawful entry into box junctions.

We met this commitment in May 2022 by bringing into force a set of regulations setting the moving traffic enforcement framework. This regime enables local authorities to apply to the department for a Designation Order, which provides powers to issue penalty charge notices to motorists who contravene these safety-critical traffic restrictions.

The department has since begun the process of laying Designation Orders in Parliament in tranches to allow time for those local authorities wishing to acquire the powers to make the necessary arrangements before applying.The first such Designation Order came into force in July 2022 for 12 applicant authorities and a second order is scheduled to come into force in July 2023 covering a further 40 authorities. However, the government is clear that enforcement must be proportionate and fair, and the public must be on board. We therefore enshrined a number of mitigating measures in statutory guidance, to which local authorities must adhere under the 2004 Act. These measures include ensuring that enforcement is a last resort where other measures have been exhausted, such as changes to junction layout or updating the traffic signing. Planned enforcement must also be publicised in advance.

To educate drivers and promote compliance, warning notices are to be issued instead of penalties for first-time contraventions at each location, for the first six months. These requirements apply to any new enforcement site. Moreover, the application process is not a rubber-stamping exercise, and the above requirements form part of a wider set of prerequisites set out in the statutory guidance that must have already been met before applications are made. Making these enforcement powers available to local authorities outside London will improve air quality through reduced congestion; promote active travel by keeping vehicles out of cycle lanes; improve bus punctuality by freeing up junctions; and improve safety for pedestrians crossing the road by enforcing banned turns and no entry restrictions.

While enforcement roll-out remains in the early stages, we know that these powers are already having a positive impact on contravention levels. Derby City Council, for example, reported between 50% and 72% reduction at five out of six School Streets schemes after only six weeks. These early signs are very encouraging. We will continue to monitor the effects of these powers as more local authorities go live.

The role of the BPA

As the main sector trade body with a large public and private membership and strong contacts internationally, the BPA is uniquely placed to work with the department on its drive to make travel by road easier, more efficient, and safer, while making the most of the exciting possibilities technology can offer. I know that the constructive working relationship with the BPA, which my department has enjoyed over many years, will continue.

Transport minister Richard Holden MP addressed the British Parking Association’s BPA Live conference on 26 April

Digital data has been the driver behind most smart parking innovations in the last decade

Richard Holden MP

We need more School Streets, and as quickly as possible

More councils are recognising the benefits of School Streets. Not only do schemes cut air pollution and road danger while encouraging active travel, but they are also self-funding, writes Claire

McDonald

It’s great when a good thing catches on. School Streets, where the road outside a school is closed to traffic at drop off and pick up times, are an excellent example. First introduced to England in 2018, there are now over 500 in London, and hundreds around the rest of the country. In the world of highway authorities, that’s extremely fast-moving.

Research shows that a School Street not only benefits the targeted school, but also the entire community around that school, as well as nearby local schools that may not be able to implement their own School Street. For those reasons we at Mums for Lungs think councils should not hesitate, and should introduce as many as possible as quickly as possible.

Impact of pollution on children

First, it might be helpful to understand the situation around many of the 24,000 plus schools in England. According to research by King’s College London, school children are exposed to five times more air pollution on the school run than any other time.

Research in 2021, showed that a quarter of all schools were in areas with levels of pollution higher than what the World Health Organisation deems safe. Those guidelines have since been tightened, meaning many more schools are now in areas where air pollution targets are exceeded. In addition to this, we know that air pollution affects children more than grown-ups. This is

because they breathe more frequently and more deeply than adults, they are closer to the emissions, and their lungs are still developing. Research shows that children who grow up 50-metres from a main road can have lungs stunted by up to 14%.

Fortunately, School Streets go some way to mitigate these terrible statistics. Research shows they reduce traffic as well as air pollution by 23%. This is obviously reason enough to campaign for them, but we believe their impact is even bigger. Why? Here are a few reasons.

The rush hour and school run

According to research the school run accounts for 25% of morning peak traffic. By making it difficult to drive to, or park around a school, it becomes less convenient to drive that journey and research shows that traffic falls on School Streets and surrounding roads. This traffic reduction benefits everyone. Parents are more able to walk or cycle to school with less traffic around, making it more likely that the whole family hits their active travel goals.

A reduction in traffic outside the school means the teachers don’t have to manage the stressful mayhem of angry parents, honking horns and bewildered children – a common occurrence outside the school gates. And residents who live around the school also benefit. Even when there is some displacement of traffic, research finds that it is not as significant as the original problem and can be managed.

of Mums for Lungs

For many people a School Street is the first time they see a lowcar environment, and they find that they like it

Not all schools are equal when it comes to traffic Catchment schools rely on pupils coming from nearby, and if that’s in an urban area, it is usually within easy walking distance. However, non-catchment schools – often independent or faith schools that don’t have a distance criteria – generally have higher driving rates. Department for Transport research from 2014 shows that the further a child travels to school, the more likely that journey is to be driven, with 75% of school journeys under a mile being walked, compared to 75% of journeys between 2-5 miles being driven.

HomeRun, an app that measures 3.8 million school journeys a year, has data that shows that the average journey to an urban non-catchment primary school is 4.5 miles, compared with 1.2 miles of a catchment school. Because of this, we think councils should not be reluctant to give non-catchment schools School Streets, as a reduction in driving rates and a more sustainable school run will not only benefit those schools, but also the communities and schools around them.

And it doesn’t need to cost councils…

Our new research shows that using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to enforce School Streets means they self-fund before their first year is out. From the 11 London boroughs with sufficient data to analyse, we found out that setting up a School Street with a multi-camera ANPR scheme costs on average £56,375 (around £20,000 for a single-camera scheme) and returns £63,113 per year in penalty enforcement notices (on average). This money can be used on measures to reduce air pollution and road danger at schools that can’t implement a School Street.

People love them

This is the one traffic reduction measure that is almost universally popular. According to research by the Mayor of London, 77% of parents and carers support School Streets being kept.

Another survey by Transport for London said 81% of people whose school had a School Street wanted to keep it, and a survey by charity Sustrans found that residents on and around a School Street felt that the road was much safer with a School Street. These perceptions are overwhelmingly positive. For many people a School Street is the first time they see a low-car environment, and they find that they like it.

There are more than 24,000 schools in England, so we’ve only just touched the surface of what can be done. School Streets mean less traffic, less road danger, less pollution and a better start to everyone’s day.

Claire McDonald is schools lead at Mums For Lungs, a grassroots campaign organisation, concerned about the impact of air pollution on children’s health www.mumsforlungs.org

Self-funding enforcement

Research by Mums for Lungs reveals that using School Street ANPR systems can be self-funding

Mums for Lungs is a passionate advocate for School Streets due to their impact on air pollution and road safety; they have been shown to reduce air pollution by 23%, with an 81% approval rate. We would like to see School Streets implemented as extensively as possible, but understand that sometimes the cost of enforcing them is seen to be too high for councils managing tight budgets.

School Streets Freedom of Information requests Mums for Lungs sent out Freedom of Information requests to every London borough, requesting information on the costs of School Street automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and the revenue they created. We have completed a data analysis of the thirteen responses we received.

The summary is: in the first year of operation, School Streets recoup the capital costs of investment. From the 11 London boroughs with sufficient data to analyse, we discovered that to set up a School Street with a multi-camera ANPR scheme costs on average £56,375 (around £20,000 for a single-camera scheme) and returns on average £63,113 per year in penalty enforcement notices.

Across the 500-plus School Streets in London, we estimate that London boroughs are currently collecting around £31m annually in fines revenue. While there will be some variations over time, as drivers change routes, we do not see a significant drop off in revenue where School Streets have been in place for more than one year.

School Streets funding stream

£31m is a substantial amount of money. We believe it should be used to target air pollution around all schools, not just the ones that have School Streets. We have produced some example calculations to prompt discussion of what an annual £31m revenue stream could support after costs are met in Year One:

• £12.8m could fund school enforcement officers (‘lollipop ladies’) for all 1,800 state primaries in London, working 5 days a week at drop off and pick up (3 hours total).

• £15m could be spent on funding green screens and playground planting at the 500 most polluted primary schools in the capital that can’t currently have School Streets.

• £1m could be spent on a digital and real world awareness-raising campaign to encourage active travel and discourage idling at school, better enforced School Streets and other measures to reduce pollution around schools. This would work out as around £30,000 per borough to be spent on targeted public health messages.

We understand that revenue is collected and spent within boroughs, these figures are an illustration.There are approximately 1,800 state primary schools in the capital, so that’s about 1,300 without a School Street. Expanding the scheme where possible would reduce air pollution at those schools but also increase revenue that could be used for air pollution reduction measures at other schools, ensuring equity, as well as maintaining public confidence that fines are being well used.

Claire McDonald spoke at School Streets 2023

A School Street in Hackney

HACKNEY COUNCIL

Car park will help deliver a new hospital

King’s Lynn NHS trust says multi-storey is key to its future

Plans for the construction of a £42m NHS car park have taken a step closer to reality. The planning application for a multi-storey car park (MSCP) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust (QEH) has been approved by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

The car park will be built on the hospital site and is seen as a key ‘enabler’ for a much-needed new hospital which would be built on the site of the existing main car park. The multi-storey is part of a wider, long-term estate strategy for a new hospital that the trust is aiming to secure new funding for, to be completed by 2030, as the existing hospital has already been operational for ten years past its intended lifespan.

QEH says it is “investment ready” and can deliver a new hospital as soon as government funding is secured.

The scheme will deliver a total of 1,383 parking spaces, replacing the existing car park at the hospital. It will include 18 electric vehicle (EV) charging points, 98 Blue Badge spaces and involve the relocation of the current bus stop.

Construction work would take place in two phases starting in late 2023, with completion expected in late 2025.

Hospital chief executive Alice Webster told King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council: “The application before you is for a multi-storey car park and it is the first step of our estate plan and is a critical part of us being investment ready. A crumbling, out-of-date estate is a significant issue for our patients, those who use our services and our staff. We continue to develop a case for our community to receive the news it so rightfully deserves, a new hospital.”

A phased construction

The new MSCP will be built in two phases. The first phase will provide 500 parking spaces and the second, to be built alongside the new hospital, will provide a further 879 spaces. Together these will replace the existing car park at the hospital. The multistorey will be built on the site of the Inspire Centre, which is due for demolition.

Speaking about the planning application outcome, Paul Brooks, director of estates and facilities, said: “To put it simply, without a multi-storey car park, we can’t build the much-needed new hospital at QEH before our 2030 hospital end-of-life deadline.

“We have worked hard with our colleagues at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk to ensure this new car park will have a limited visual impact to the surrounding area.

“In the short-term the MSCP will help to ease well-recognised parking pressures at our hospital and in the long-term it will

free up the existing car park for a new hospital building. We are now focussed on securing funding for the car park and hope, if this is forthcoming, to start work on the build this year. In the meantime, we continue to push on all fronts for a decision to secure QEH’s place on the government’s list for funding for a new hospital. We very much hope for a decision soon.”

Engagement and amendments

Following extensive engagement on the car park in the Summer of 2022, hundreds of people shared their views on the proposal. In response to the feedback a number of changes were made to the plans, including:

• changes to the road layout around the car park entrance to ease traffic congestion

• confirming that the new car park will be pay-on-exit and payment by app and card will be an option

• increasing the size of individual parking spaces to make it easier to park and get in and out of vehicles

• locating Blue Badge spaces on the ground floor and ensuring enough height clearance for disabled spaces to accommodate mobility vehicles

• enhancing the external planting and soft landscaping to further improve the look and feel of the environment around the car park.

A detailed transport strategy and travel plan has been developed by the team at engineering consultancy Hexa, along with core civil and structural guidance to ensure the scheme’s success at the planning stage.

Matt Price, director of transport planning at Hexa, said: “Having started working on smaller schemes with the hospital trust and becoming involved with this car park scheme in 2021, it’s great to see the planning application has been approved. It is a muchneeded facility for the Queen Elizabeth

Hospital, which will support the ambition for further improvements in future, including the trust’s bid for a completely new hospital.”

Hexa was involved in a cross-discipline approach on the project, providing expertise to support survey work, environmental works, GEO investigation, noise and air quality investigation, as well as habitat and ecology.

Price added: “One of the main challenges of this plan was ensuring the accurate calculation of not only the current car parking demands of the hospital, but also what it may require further down the line. It was key to consider the displacement of parking during construction too, as the existing car park would be out of use for some time. We’re pleased our combined experience in the sector has supported QEH in getting this submission through and to develop a long-term strategy that will enable to provision of new facilities at the site.”

Design and operation

Design and construction consultancy, Exi Group was initially appointed to develop a car park strategy and a pre-outline business case (OBC) feasibility study for the car park and has gone on to provide a full multi-disciplinary service. It has also collaborated closely with the Hexa team and other design team specialists across a range of disciplines.

Ben Flounders, director at Exi Group, said: “This project has shown the benefits of collaboration, and utilising specialised experts in key areas. Not only will this scheme act as an enabling project for the release of a key development zone for a future hospital, this multi-storey car park will allow the hospital’s estates team to better manage and control its on-site parking demand in the short term. It will benefit from the latest technology such as Parking Eye automatic number plate recognition and app-based payment methods.”

Design for the QEH car park

British Land to develop urban logistics hub

Paddington Central site will deliver goods using electric vans and bikes

Property developer British Land has secured planning approval for an ultra-low carbon logistics hub to serve central London.

The 121,000 square foot facility at 5 Kingdom Street, Paddington Central, known as The Box, will provide inbound access to HGVs with outbound deliveries via smaller electric vehicles and electric cargo bikes.

British Land said the location offers excellent road and cycle connectivity.

The former Crossrail works site will serve the whole of Westminster and will remove around 100 large vans from the borough’s roads every day.

It is estimated that the site will create over 500 new jobs and training opportunities.

Mike Best, head of logistics at British Land, said: “The postpandemic demand for ultrafast deliveries comes with major impacts on emissions, air quality, congestion and road safety,

which urban logistics hubs can combat.

“Replacing traditional vans with sustainable electric vehicles and bikes can deliver carbon savings of up to 90% per parcel alongside the wider positive impact on air quality and wider environment for local communities.

“British Land’s skillset in delivering complex, mixed-use, sustainable developments and our strategically located portfolio

Fatal car park collapse in New York

means we are well positioned to unlock urban logistics space in London. We look forward to progressing our plans at 5 Kingdom Street and across our wider London portfolio.”

British Land’s Greater London urban logistics pipeline has a gross development value of £1.5bn and includes two sites off the Old Kent Road, Finsbury Square car park, and sites at Enfield, Wembley and Thurrock.

To date, British Land has sub-

mitted planning applications for 1.6 million square feet of potential urban logistics space.

The Paddington Basin announcement follows the publication of two sets of research into last-mile deliveries commissioned by British Land and produced by Centre for London and University College London.

London was identified as particularly challenging when it comes to urban logistics: its centre is distant from out-of-town hubs and traffic congestion often leads to delays, while larger vans struggle on its smaller streets and can pose dangers to pedestrians and cyclists.

The research identified the potential for urban logistics hubs in central London to cut carbon and pollution from last-mile freight distribution, improve overall efficiency and reliability, and reduce delivery times and costs for operators.

Using London as an example, delivering by cargo bike is 1.6 times faster on average than delivering by van, and can enable a reduction in total distance travelled of up to 20%.

Bristol housing plan submitted

Developer Greystar has submitted plans to demolish a multi-storey car park in Bristol to make space for housing. Greystar is seeking permission from Bristol City Council to replace Rupert Street car park in the city centre with new flats.

The development would include 577 rooms, with 328 designated for students, parking, and shops and restaurants on the ground floor.

Neil Howells, senior director at Greystar, said: “These proposals will regenerate this rundown building, maintaining but improving public parking to serve the hospitals, Broadmead and the city centre in a

highly-accessible location.

“This is an opportunity to make better use of the existing NCP car park, creating sustainable homes for people and providing high-quality green space for the residents.

“We want to turn the existing car park into a place the local community can be proud of.”

The Twentieth Century Society says Rupert Street is an important example of early Brutalist car park design that should be repurposed rather than demolished.

The C20 society has applied to have the structure listed with Historic England.

One person died and five were injured when a multi-storey car park partially collapsed in the US city of New York.

The incident happened on Anne Street in Manhattan’s Financial District at around 4pm on 28 April.

One car park worker was injured after being trapped on an upper floor, and was unable to get down on his own.

“We were able to put firefighters up there in the building and take him out across the roof to another

building and bring him down safely,” said New York City Fire Department chief John Esposito.

New technology played a key role in the rescue. A robotic dog developed by Boston Dynamics sent video from inside the building and drones were flown in to the collapsed structure to conduct an assessment and searches.

“Thank God we had the robotic dog that was able to go in the building,” said Mayor of New York Eric Adams.

The robot dog

Rupert Street

The Box

FDNY

Green light for Bridlington car park

East Riding of Yorkshire Council to build a multi-storey

A multi-storey car park will be built as part of plans to boost the Yorkshire coastal town of Bridlington.

The car park, to be built by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council in the New Beck Hill area, will provide a total of 429 spaces: 392 standard bays, 31 accessible ones, eight for motorcycles and six charging

PARKING

points for electric vehicles.

Historic England, council heritage officers and some locals were worried that the car park could have a detrimental impact the Bridlington Quay Conservation Area. There were also concerns about the effect the car park might have on a stream known as the Gypsey Race, which runs through villages in the area and out into the North Sea at Bridlington

However, a planning committee said the

potential benefits to the town outweighed the “low” risk of harm to the area.

Planning committee chair Cllr Leo Hammond said: “Bridlington town centre has sadly been challenged historically, this will hopefully attract bigger firms. I understand the heritage and conservation concerns, but it’s not a particularly attractive site as it is.”

Construction is expected to start later this year.

Taking fire safety to a new level

Semper Fire Engineering and HUBER Car Park Systems UK explore contemporary fire safety design of open-sided multi-storey car parks

To date, it has generally been assumed that the fire load and the risk of a car park fire spreading significantly are relatively low. However, recent technological changes and serious car park fires have challenged these assumptions, and car park designs have been questioned with regards to adequate fire safety. The following article addresses the current UK legislative framework, recent major car park fires, technological changes, such as electric vehicles (EVs), and recommendations for the design of open-sided multi-storey car parks (MSCPs).

The UK legislative framework for fire safety design is underpinned by five separate ‘Functional Requirements’; each designed to safeguard against the loss of life, should fire occur. Measures to prevent property losses, content losses, or business downtime are not usually explicitly considered and more a concern of the building’s end user or insurer. Generally, each “life safety” requirement is achieved if the fire safety guidance has been satisfied; reference to fire safety engineering techniques would be less common.

The Building Regulations 2010, Approved Document B (Fire Safety), states that”the fire load [of car parks] is well defined” and “the probability of fire spreading from one storey to another in a well-ventilated car park is low”. These statements are partly based on the published results of car park fire tests in the past, which claimed that there is low fuel load and fire spread probability in car parks. This may be one of the main reasons why few, if any, well-ventilated car park structures have been installed with sprinkler protection, and why many are supported by a structure which has the lowest fire resistance period stipulated (i.e., 15 minutes).

Recent major fires in multi-storey car parks, such as the Stavanger Airport fire (Norway, 2020) with more than 300 cars destroyed, and the Liverpool Kings Dock fire (UK, 2017) with around 1,150 cars destroyed, have raised concerns about car park fire safety. In both cases, there was no automatic fire

detection connected with the alarm system. Additionally, car park users did not alert firefighting services immediately. These factors resulted in the firefighting services only starting operations 27 minutes (Stavanger) and 22 minutes (Liverpool) later. The Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s report suggested that the Liverpool Kings Dock fire spread vertically to all other levels via the combustible drainage system and floor joints, describing the ignited fuel running down as “waterfalls of fire”.

A fire in the Cork shopping centre multi-storey car park (Ireland, 2019) had relatively milder consequences in that ‘only’ 60 cars were damaged. The assumption is that this is due to the continuous composite decking system (monolithic slab) which was used to form the floor structure of the car park. As this system is jointless, the ability for the fire to spread between floors would have been restricted. It is important to note that no fatalities or serious injuries were reported in all three of the car park fires discussed in this article, even where significant structural collapse occurred due to fire. Therefore, with respect to the protection of life, it could be said that each of these buildings performed adequately when exposed to fire.

A further consideration with regards to fire safety is the rapid technological changes in the car industry, particularly in the past decades. These include greater use of composites for the body of vehicles, increased vehicle sizes, and alternative fuel types. Recent research published by the Fire Protection Research Foundation has demonstrated both that modern cars of the 2010s contain 91% more plastic than cars of the 1970s (the plastic content of modern cars still makes up less than 10% of the total vehicle kerb weight), and that although many vehicle sizes have increased, there is no significant difference between the peak heat release rates (HRRs) of modern (2010s) and older (1980s) car fires.

Significantly, the rising popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) raises fire safety concerns amongst many in the industry. Many of these concerns stem from a lack of EV fire data, knowledge and experience, as the majority of existing data for car fires comes from fire tests conducted using, and real fires involving, internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). Several studies on EV fires show that the maximum fire size (heat release rate) of a burning EV is similar to that of an ICEV. The main contribution to the heat release rate was due to conventional materials found in a vehicle, rather than lithium-ion battery (LiB) packs.

It has further been claimed that EV fires can continue for

1,150 cars were destroyed in the Liverpool Kings Dock Fire

Creating a cohesive fire strategy

HUBER Car Park Systems shares its expertise and design experience

Taking into account current available data and experience, HUBER Car Park Systems believes the following recommendations should be part of a fire safety strategy when designing a bespoke open-sided multistorey car park.

• Fire detection and alarm systems: Use automatic systems to enable the early detection and warning of a fire, to encourage earlier onset of occupants’ evacuation and fire service intervention.

• Structures and materials: Use non-combustible materials, including the façade and drainage systems, to reduce the likelihood of rapid fire spread away from fire origin. Use monolithic floor slabs to restrict the vertical spread of fire or smoke. Ensure a robust structural design to avoid the likelihood of disproportionate collapse. Key elements of the structure must be identified to purposefully strengthen its resistance and integrity.

longer; and if the LiB pack is involved, it can produce jet flames which could accelerate fire spread. An additional consideration are the LiB packs in electrical vehicles whereby, should they be damaged or malfunction, they can undergo thermal runaway (where a battery, at first, slowly increases in temperature and then undergoes a rapid chemical, exothermic heat reaction resulting in ignition of the battery up to several hours after the initial temperature increase). The risk here is that thermal runaway can remain undetected for long periods of time and can cause unexpected explosions. Additionally, fires involving EVs can reignite and self-ignite, but there does not seem to be adequate research on this to-date.

Importantly, some studies suggest that the consequences of a LiB pack igniting would likely occur long after evacuation has taken place. So, although these phenomena may cause increased risk to fire service personnel, should they arrive at a later stage of the fire, it is unlikely they would affect the safety of general car park users. It is also claimed that EV fires produce a larger quantity of toxic gases, such as hydrogen fluoride, and metals, than traditional ICEV fires. However, recent research has concluded that the total quantity of hydrogen fluoride may be lower than expected; meaning the effect of metals could be considered more of an environmental issue rather than a life safety issue.

In summary, advances in car design may have changed the fire risk in a multi storey car park but there has not yet been sufficient research to determine whether changes in fire safety measures

• EV infrastructure: Protect cable routes and charging units from damage (by weather, car collision, etc.), given these could provide a readily available source of ignition when exposed. Use separate distribution boards for the EV infrastructure and allow for emergency isolation switches, to disconnect the electrical supplies to the systems prior to the fire service undertaking any firefighting activities.

• Stair cores: Construct stair enclosures that are structurally separate from the main car park structure and floorplates, to support the design for structural robustness and reduce the likelihood of stairs losing stability as a result of a car fire. Provide fire mains within the cores to enable easily accessible water supplies for attending fire service crews.

• Ongoing management: Ensure suitable ongoing management and maintenance of the building to enable the active fire safety measures to perform as expected in event of a real fire. Ensure open, ventilated façades are not covered with materials (e.g., advertisement banners) as these may limit the possibility for smoke and heat to be released naturally.

For a visual understanding of how these can work cohesively as part of a building’s fire strategy, please see the graphic above.

are required and what they may be. We believe further fire tests will likely provide more data to better understand the risks associated with EVs, and consequently help inform relevant design and risk management. This will in turn allow fire services to develop a better understanding of how to deal with car park fires; particularly, with regards the extinguishing of LiB fires in buildings. In reaction to the above, there are growing requests within the industry that car park structures should be designed with longer fire resistance periods. These demands are based on the assumption that the longer period would inevitably lead to a “safer” building. However, it is our belief that increasing fire resistance is not necessarily the most appropriate or practicable solution to ensure safety. The overall building design and its structure must be taken into consideration. In essence, all fire safety measures must be considered holistically as part of a building’s fire safety strategy.

The authors

This article was produced by Malika Alimzhanova and Shami Smith-Sandhu of Semper Fire Engineering, and Marco Reifert and Merle Kurz of HUBER Car Park Systems

For more technical and in-depth information and/or details of any of the sources used contact: info@huber-carparksystems.com

Making the case for cash in a digital world

Councils have been told by the government that they must not force drivers to use phones to pay for parking, reports Mark Moran

Parking payment machines are being completely removed by some High Streets in favour of cashless options such as mobile phone apps. Theft, vandalism, maintenance cost and the end of 3G services that connect pay & display machines with the back office are being cited by some councils as the reason for the removal of machines. However, there have been concerns that the disappearance of cash will create “parking meter deserts”.

Such an anxiety was expressed by Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, who said: “Successful towns and high streets have accessible high streets and this involves easy-to-use car parking. I am appalled that many councils are introducing car parking apps instead of meters because these apps are a barrier to many car drivers.”

The concerns of elderly people were shared by Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams CBE: “The news that we may soon see the end of pay & display parking is disastrous for anyone without a smartphone, including millions of older people.”

Such concerns and negative newspaper headlines in The Times and Daily Mail prompted a letter to local authorities from levelling up secretary Michael Gove. In a letter sent to every local authority in England on 4 April, Gove said it would not be appropriate for high street parking to be “solely available for those who have access to a mobile phone”.

The cabinet minister said councils should also not replace paper-based parking options such as scratch cards if the only available replacement is entirely digital. Gove wrote: “Cash remains legal tender and it will continue to be used in our daily lives by people who favour its accessibility and ease. I am therefore concerned that local authorities should ensure that there are alternative provisions for parking payments available so that no part of society is digitally excluded. This is of course important for many areas in preserving the accessibility of our high streets and town centres for all the public.”

Political dialogue

The issue of cashless parking was addressed in correspondence between the ministers and Clive Betts MP, Labour chairman of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison and transport minister

Richard Holden wrote to the committee on 21 April. They reiterated Michael Gove’s point that no part of society is to be digitally excluded. The ministers wrote: “It is the responsibility for all parking operators, including local authorities, to design and operate parking systems which best meet the needs of all their customers.”

The ministers then set out the work that has been done to develop the National Parking Platform (NPP), a system that will allow motorists to use the app of their choice when parking. The government has been backing a pilot of the NPP in Manchester.

“First and foremost, the pilot has demonstrated that a digital parking service can be delivered,” the ministers wrote. “The government is currently considering the governance and funding models which could facilitate the wider roll-out of the NPP.”

Following the ministers’ joint letter Betts said: “It’s important that all parking operators, including local councils, enable the needs of all customers are met and that people can pay for their parking in a convenient way. I look forward to further updates from Ministers on how they intend to facilitate the wider roll-out of the National Parking Platform and ensure that there are suitable provisions for people to make parking payments to ensure no-one is digitally excluded.”

The parking sector’s view

The Local Government Association (LGA) defended the digitisation of parking as a mark of progress. An LGA spokesman said: “In line with customer trends a number of councils have taken the decision to innovate and digitise a number of their parking services, including moving to cashless payments and removing parking meters when other more efficient and secure ways can be taken to make payments.”

Speaking for the parking sector, the British Parking Association pointed to research that shows the majority of people prefer paying for parking using cash, but that some people appreciate the convenience of using apps as a payment mechanism that enables them to keep track of and manage their parking time.

Dave Smith, the BPA’s head of communication and marketing, said: “The BPA advocates that parking operators offer a range of payment options, including cash, but this may not be a viable option in all circumstances. Motorists should feel confident that they can pay for parking with either cash, card or phone wherever they choose to park. Any issues need to be identified quickly and enforcement should not take place if the system is not working.”

A common sight now, but cash accepting pay & display machines are vanishing from some towns and cities

Extra! What the papers said...

Parking must remain accessible

Michael Gove’s letter of 4 April to local authorities

The removal of cash parking machines made it on to the front pages of national newspapers

Newspapers have expressed a concern that the spread of apponly parking means some towns are set to become digital deserts in which elderly and vulnerable people are unable to pay for parking. One factor that seems to be accelerating the withdrawal of payment machines is the transition to the 4G and 5G networks, reports The Times. It appears local authorities have decided not to spend money on new terminals and instead are opting to go completely cashless. The move could make parking payments challenging for elderly or vulnerable motorists who may not have a smartphone, or struggle to use apps if they do, argued The Times.

The retirement of 2G and 3G networks will allow 4G and 5G networks to get better coverage and a speed boost from the repurposing of the old spectrum. It is anticipated that this will provide a more reliable experience and super clear connection.

The Times reported that Brighton & Hove City Council will scrap all of its pay & display machines by the end of May, with the local authority saying changing machines to 4G would be costly. The newspaper said a number of London boroughs have or are removing machines, including Barking & Dagenham, Bromley, Enfield, Harrow, Merton and Richmond upon Thames.

The London Borough of Bromley removed all machines in April due to a potential bill of £1m to reconfigure them. Nicholas Bennet, Bromley’s executive councillor for transport, told The Times: “As a pensioner myself, I appreciate that some people have a problem with modern technology. However, we are talking about people who drive a ton and a half of steel, which requires more skill than downloading an app.”

A Daily Mail front page on 3 April stated: “Millions of drivers are stuck in parking app hell: More councils banish pay and display machines for hated cashless alternatives.”

The Daily Mail claims more than two million drivers will soon live in “parking meter deserts”. It cites pay & display being a thing of the past in parts of London, including Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster., Barking and Dagenham, Enfield and Bromley, as well as Brighton and Hove. It reports that Harrow is moving to a “cashlite” system by switching off most of its machines. A poll commissioned by the Mail found more than half of over-65s do not feel like using parking apps such as RingGo and PayByPhone. Four in ten respondents of all ages told Consumer Intelligence that they would be put off going to town centres that lacked parking meters.

Dear Leader Public Parking Provision

I write regarding public on and off-street parking provision, which is the responsibility of local authorities. There has been extensive recent coverage about the increased use by councils of digital apps and cashless payment for parking. Concerns have rightly been raised about the accessibility implications of these new technologies, in particular for the elderly and others with vulnerabilities.

As a government, we are committed to supporting local authorities to improve public services through innovation and digitisation. We recognise that making digital payments for parking via mobile phone apps or online can provide a more convenient, efficient, and secure way for the public to pay and can help local authorities reduce costs and raise standards. We also recognise that some local authorities have reported concerning levels of attempted fraud in relation to payment machines.

All local authorities, however, have existing statutory duties to ensure that they do not discriminate in their decision making against older people or those with vulnerabilities. Cash remains legal tender and it will continue to be used in our daily lives by people who favour its accessibility and ease. I am therefore concerned that local authorities should ensure that there are alternative provisions for parking payments available so that no part of society is digitally excluded. This is of course important for many areas in preserving the accessibility of our high streets and town centres for all the public.

I expect you to make sure that parking services for which you are responsible remain accessible. For example, it would not seem appropriate for parking on a high street to be solely available for those who have access to a mobile phone. Nor would it appear sensible for local authorities to phase out paper-based parking options such as ‘scratch cards’ if the only available replacement is an entirely digital option.

More generally, the government is determined to ensure that our town centres, high streets and public spaces are accessible to all. We are committed to improving the regulation of the private parking industry by implementing the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. This includes the development of an independent code of practice for private parking companies in an attempt to raise the overall standards of the car parking industry. We are considering some elements of the code to ensure that it provides the best possible protection for motorists while giving parking companies the tools to crack down on motorists who park obstructively or dangerously, and we will continue to work with industry and consumer groups to ensure the code comes into effect as quickly as possible. The combination of this and your actions to maintain an accessible public parking system is important for protecting motorists and businesses for whom parking is so key.

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

The world of parking under one roof

Innovation and debate will be on show at NEC Birmingham

The British Parking Association’s Parkex show returns this summer. What is billed as being the world’s largest parking event takes place at the NEC in Birmingham between 6-8 June.

Over three days the exhibition centre’s halls will be home to around 200 suppliers who will be showcasing their systems and services across Parkex and the parallel Traffex tradeshow, which focusses on highways and moving traffic management.

Parkex 2023 will feature stands displaying payment systems, electric vehicle charging, data management and a range of enforcement solutions.

This year marks the return of the Innovation Trail, which highlights new products and services via clear recognition in the Parkex show guide, signage across the showfloor and power pitches in the Parkex Hub conference area.

Running in parallel to the tradeshow, the Traffex and Parkex 2023 conference programme takes place across five

dedicated theatres discussing challenges facing those responsible for roads, highways, traffic management and parking. There will also be a new stream dedicated to the transition to electric vehicles.

The conference streams are:

• The Parkex Hub

• EV Infrastructure Theatre

• Highways Strategy Stage

• Highways Excellence Stage

• Local Roads Theatre.

Attendees at the Parkex Hub will receive guidance on current issues and hot topics from leading BPA members and parking experts that are pushing beyond parking to use parking as a tool to encourage a healthier lifestyle, protect the vulnerable and ensure diversity and inclusion for all.

The Parkex and Traffex shows are free to attend. Tickets can be booked online.

www.parkex.net

www.traffex.com

& Guilds Advanced Notice Processing Training

Parkex is a BPA event

We live in an increasingly cashless society, with the use of contactless cards, online orders and smartphone apps replacing coins and banknotes as the means by which people pay for goods and services. The parking sector has been in the vanguard of the transition to cashless payment. While most parking providers still provide cash options for drivers in the forms of coin accepting terminals in car parks, in some locations the shift towards card, online and phone-based transactions has been so marked that it no longer makes sense to provide cash accepting terminals. This presents an opportunity to make savings via reduced machine maintenance, an end to coin collection and repairing the after-effects of attempted theft.

Such a scenario is taking place in the Kent town of Rochester, where a major car park has moved to totally cashless operation following analysis of usage patterns that revealed most motorists paid for their parking using cashless. This trend prompted Medway Council to convert the Rochester Riverside multi-storey car park to a completely cashless operation. Drivers using the site have the choice of paying by card, phone app or on setting up an account linked to automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

The journey to cashless

The 300-space Rochester Riverside multi-storey car park was built adjacent to the new Rochester rail station and opened in 2021. The site originally offered drivers the choice of paying via pay & display terminals complemented by a mobile phone service.

During 2021 a decision was taken to make site ticketless. This saw car park converted from P&D to an ANPR based pay-on-foot system devised and supplied by Sagoss. This complemented pay-by-phone using either the Go Mobon app or RingGo Pay Later system.

Drivers were able to park their vehicle and then, when they are ready to leave, enter their registration details at the terminals and pay for their parking using card or contactless. No ticket was required because the ANPR system would identify a vehicle as having paid for its stay as it approached the exit barrier.

The move to ANPR in a council car park required the use of a barrier system because, unlike private sector operators, local authorities lack the ability to request keeper details for vehicles captured on car park ANPR systems from DVLA. A barrier-controlled operation means that the council can both harness the ability of ANPR to connect transactions to a vehicle registration mark (VRM) and ensure that drivers have paid before their vehicle exits the site.

During 2022 it became evident that almost all Rochester Riverside’s users, some 98%, were opting for cashless options, either card payment at the terminals or using the phone, app or account options. The council thus decided the coin payment option would be completely removed. The coin and card payment kiosks were replaced with a pair of card-only touchscreen terminals chnology that accept payments via credit or debit cards using contactless or insertion chip and PIN.

T he cashless car park

Sagoss has created an ANPR-enabled, coin-free pay-on-foot solution in a

Cllr Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for frontline services, said: “Since the pandemic, there has been a reduction in the number of people who pay for their parking using cash. Since January 2022, only 1.7% of motorists who use this popular car park have paid for their parking using cash. There are a number of ways that motorists will be able to pay for their parking including using their phones and setting up an online parking account. Following a successful ANPR pilot at the Rochester multi-storey car park, we introduced cashless parking in November 2022.”

How the system works

The exit management kiosk automatically presents the driver with their parking fee. As the car park is paperless, receipts can be downloaded as a PDF via a QR code. The ANPR cameras automatically raise the barrier as motorists exit.

People can sign up for an online parking account and AutoPay option, which will

record when a registered vehicle enters and leaves the car park and automatically bills the account holder’s payment account without the need to go over to the kiosks. Drivers register for the autopayment account via a council branded portal hosted by Sagoss. Drivers can also purchase season tickets online via the council’s parking website. The season ticket service is hosted on a Sagoss back office service called BlinkEnterprise.

Looking ahead

The coin and card payment kiosks removed from Rochester Riverside have been redeployed in other car parks where new Sagoss systems have also been introduced. Residents with electric, or hybrid, vehicles are able to park in the car park for free between 6pm and 8am Monday to Sunday, if they are charging their vehicles using the available EV charging points. To benefit from free parking, residents have to register their vehicle online to give them ticketless access. Motorists need to pay to charge their vehicles.

Richard Parsons, Sagoss’ national sales manager, said: “Because of the high reliability of the Sagoss system and its customer support features, the council has discovered that the car park requires very little support or attendance. With the Sagoss system, it is possible for the ‘support officer’ to remotely manage the kiosk in full. The support officer can input the drivers’ VRM, select the driver’s vehicle and generate a receipt, if needed. The driver only needs to use their credit/debit card as everything else, as regards the payment process, can be managed by the officer.”

The Sagoss system included an ITSME exit management kiosk. Parsons explained: “If the driver had failed to pay for the parking at one of the payment kiosks, then the ITSME will present the VRM of the driver’s vehicle when they arrive at the exit lane, advise the driver of their parking fee, and accept payment via a credit or debit card.”

Sagoss will be showing its suite of products at Parkex 2023 on stand P210.

The Rochester Riverside car park

One of two Sagoss contactless terminals

Rochester car park for Medway Council

AppyWay launches Parking Platform

The Parking Platform is the latest product developed by technology company AppyWay to help local authorities, car parks and electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint operators gain digital control of their physical assets.

The Parking Platform is a back office integration software that works for both on-street and off-street parking across the public and private sector. Capabilities include: multi-vendor parking payments and reconciliation; EV charging software; insights dashboards showing historical and real-time occupancy from on or offstreet parking; revenue insights and third party transaction reporting from third party mobile and parking machines. Integration tools enable the pulling of third party data and the pushing of authoritative data into fleets, logistics and motorists.

AppyWay says the Parking Platform adopts an agnostic approach to help all stakeholders within the public and private parking and mobility ecosystem build mutual value and efficiencies.

AppyWay founder Dan Hubert said: ‘The UK’s fragmented industry has caused local authorities and motorists unnecessary environmental and economical pain for decades. AppyWay was founded on the premise to unite this fragmented world and help create more livable and breathable cities. The Parking Platform can act as an immediate remedy and fully supports the Department for

Transport’s plans for a digitally United Kingdom.”

Tariffs and hours of operation have previously been notoriously difficult to standardise across the UK. Car parks have endless permit types and variations of peak and off-peak hours. The lack of digital Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) and data standards for on-street has meant that there are over 200,000 possible restriction and tariff combinations dotted along the UK’s kerbside.

Hubert said: “The Parking Platform cost calculator has made sense of every edge case across 500-plus town and cities, uniting on and off-street for the first time, allowing motorists to search for the cheapest or nearest at any point in time.”

AppyWay has been an active supporter of Department of Transport data discovery projects. For example, the department is developing a technology hub called the National Parking Platform (NPP) that will create a centralised portal for managing and accessing on-street and off-street parking across the UK.

Preceding the inception of the NPP, AppyWay helped influence several reports on the requirements for a digital first solution. The Parking Platform will work with all industry recognised and emerging data models including the APDS, TRO-DD and TN-ITS.

The Parking Platform also works with EV chargepoint operators, barrier

systems, ANPR cameras for intelligent enforcement and seamless car park barrier entry. As a result AppyWay reports that longstanding local authority partners, including Harrogate, Coventry and Dundee, have been seeing back office efficiencies and improved customer centric services. The open market for cashless payments could potentially cause more administration burden for parking managers who will have to liaise with several cashless apps when tariff and operational hours are adjusted.

The Parking Platform is AppyWay’s third product offering. It sits alongside Traffic Suite and AppyParking+. AppyWay said the Traffic Suite digital traffic order management service acts as a “ledger of truth” within local authorities and pushes data into The Parking Platform, allowing parking managers to automatically update all suppliers with a click of button. Meanwhile, AppyWay+ displays AppyWay’s Kerbside API with over 21,000km of London’s restricted kerbside.

Hubert added: “The Parking Platform powered by AppyWay is a game-changing solution for the parking industry. Its capabilities in digitising, centralising, and standardising data sets will provide numerous optimisation and decarbonisation opportunities for local authorities, car parks, and EV chargepoint operators across the UK.” AppyWay will be showing its suite of products at Parkex 2023 on stand P154

Parking technology firm offers market ready support for roll-out of National Parking Platform

Fire truck designed for electric vehicle fires

Hiload RIV can drive into multi-storey and underground car parks

The growing number of electric vehicles on the roads may be considered good for the environment, but it is causing concern among fire fighters.

Although electric vehicles are statistically less likely to catch fire than an internal combustion engine car, incidents involving a lithium-ion battery can be far more serious and difficult to extinguish – especially if in an enclosed space such as an underground or multi-storey car park which large fire engines cannot access.

Once a battery pack has been compromised by an accident or external fire, it can be difficult to tackle the resulting blaze as the energy contained within the cells is released, causing a ‘thermal runaway’. Previous ways of preventing this or fighting the fire involve extreme measures such as immersing the entire car in water for days in large bags or shipping containers.

Hiload has developed a way of tackling these incidents in the form of a Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) which can deliver the crew and equipment to locations where height may be limited, such as car park structures.

The RIV is designed to be used in combination with traditional firefighting techniques to help prevent large fires escalating such as the recent incidents at Kings Dock car park in Liverpool and Stavanger Airport in Norway. In these cases, none

of the large fire and rescue vehicles were able to enter the structures in the early stages of the fire due to height restrictions. By the time crews entered on foot with fire-fighting equipment and water, the fire had developed beyond control. The resulting devastation led to thousands of cars being destroyed and an airport and venue being closed followed by costly re-building.

Industry specialists have cooperated to develop a new generation of fire fighting vehicle, designed specifically to fight both conventional and electric vehicle (EV) fires in car parks at the early stages – wherever the location.

The Hiload 6x6

The basis of the RIV is the British-built Hiload, which is engineered by Prospeed Motorsport in York. The company uses a Toyota Hilux as a donor. The vehicle fitted with an entirely new chassis to avoid a compromised ‘cut and shut’ of the original frame. With the replacement chassis and a torque splitter system,

the 6x6 has rated 5,600kg gross vehicle weight (GVW), which offers 3,000kg payload. That’s almost triple the standard 4x4 Hilux’s capacity, and the loadspace is also extended by 1,230mm.

Although longer, the Hiload’s height is just 1,850mm – less than some large SUVs and low enough to allow access to the majority of parking structures. It also results in a lower centre of gravity and better stability in high-speed manoeuvres.

Coldcut Cobra

Among the equipment which the increased payload helps carry, the Hiload can be fitted with the Coldcut Cobra system for extinguishing EV battery fires. The Cobra Ultra High Pressure Lance (UHPL) system uses an abrasive suspended in water to pierce a hole through floor pans and injects water at 300bar – more than 100 times the pressure of the air in a typical car tyre – throughout the module casing. This water cools directly inside the battery and thus prevents propagation

and further possibility of a thermal runaway.

Unlike alternatives, which involve pumping thousands of litres of water into the vehicle in an attempt to cool the whole battery, independent tests from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency showed the Coldcut Cobra system could prevent cell propagation within 10 minutes, using just 240 litres of water –less than a bath-full and 20% of the Hiload’s tank capacity.

Access all areas

Away from urban car park environments, the enhanced traction and reduced ground pressure resulting from a 6-wheel drive set-up can also prove invaluable for tackling fires in remote and challenging environments such as forests and heathland. The Hiload can get to these fires faster while carrying more crew, water and equipment into wild terrain.

A Hiload is currently being trialled in the Czech Republic, with the vehicle specifically developed to tackle EV battery fires and assist with fast response occupant extraction. It is already part of one EV car manufacturer’s firefighting fleet.

Prospeed are also working in the defence market to offer a 4x4 Hiload with a 5,000kg GVW and a 6x6 Hiload with 6,500kgs GVW as part of a light utility vehicle fleet, which will replace ageing Land Rover Defender and Pinzgauer fleets.

The Hiload is assembled in York in the UK, or the company can ship the 6x6 conversion as a module for final assembly in an export market. The design can also be licenced for higher volume production.

The Cobra Cut system in action

The Hiload Rapid Intervention Vehicle

The RIV is designed to access car parks

Twinning parking with EV charging

Twin product suite spans user app, payment terminals and back office software

Twin is a new product range which gives the flexibility to manage both the payment of parking and electric vehicle (EV) charging via a single innovative platform. The Twin suite of products comprises hardware and software in the form of payment terminals, a mobile app for the driver and a flexible back office system for the operator for both parking and EV charging.

The EV charging payment system was created with real world knowledge of the parking industry. What distinguishes Twin from a number of other systems for managing EV charging transactions is that it was developed by a team with hands-on parking management experience.

Developing Twin

Twin is the brainchild of Ashley Kelley who has spent over 10 years building Bank Park from a ground-up car park operator to now managing over 20,000 spaces throughout the UK. This experience provided the insights that gave Kelley his vision for the Twin concept.

It was during lockdown that Kelley decided the way forward for parking is to provide a full suite of products for both parking and EV charging. From contactless payment terminals designed and manufactured in the UK to a mobile phone app, an EV charging platform with VRM access control and a back

office operating system.

The back office system is designed to give a parking provider direct control of their parking and EV charging environment. It allows for remote rebooting as well as immediate tariff changes and the generation of user reports.

Kelley said: “Our primary objective was to create a simple to use process for motorists to pay for parking and charging their vehicle either by a contactless terminal or the mobile app. One of the main grievances of the end user is that there are a multitude of apps required to do so. As our Twin system has

open protocol it means that most chargepoints are compatible with our EV charging system so the electric vehicle user only needs one app wherever they choose to charge, therefore reducing the number of apps the charging patron must download. Twin gives a ‘one product covers all’ scenario.

“In the process of this development we took the opportunity to improve many old functions that support any operations department by utilising technology to reduce manned services for individual payment terminal visits with smart override updating functions. Thereby speeding

up processes and improving the carbon footprint of the operator with technological improvements. That said, we recognised that not all things can change so our product suite can be integrated within existing parking environments seamlessly to assist operators and parking managers to implement changes when existing products are ready to be upgraded or EV charging platform added.”

Launching Twin

After almost two years of research and development, Twin was launched at Parkex 2022. Since then, the range of products have been adopted by a number car park operators nationwide.

Kelley reports: “The UK manufactured payment terminals have proven popular with their large touchscreens and secure contactless payment plus they are extremely reliable. And the Twinpay app is a real success story with over 40,000 users growing daily.”

The Twin portfolio

The Twin suite comprises:

• Twinpay app to pay for parking and EV charging or both

• Twin payment terminals to pay for parking and EV charging or both

• Twin Charge EV platform with open protocol to host and manage most charge points

• Twin Back Office to integrate all the platforms at varying stages as and when products are selected with 24/7 access and reporting.

In a move to combat the problem of range anxiety among EV drivers, Twin is developing a new service that will go live later this year. Kelley said: “The electric vehicle user will be able to pre-book sessions at EV chargepoints on the Twinpay app. This will be a fantastic bonus for the driver and give peace of mind knowing that their journey will be stress free.”

A dedicated Twin showroom in Sheffield is available for prebooked appointments. Twin will be showing its suite of products at Parkex 2023 on stand P120.

A Twin installation

Ashley Kelley

‘23 CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

Tuesday 13 June 2023 n Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham

Enforcement encouraging compliance

The Enforcement Summit 2023 will explore latest policy, legislative and operational developments in the field of traffic, parking, air quality and debt recovery regulation.

The event encompasses: local authority enforcement operations; management of parking on private land; and the collection of road traffic, parking and other debts.

SPEAKERS

Speakers and panellists will include:

n Jade Neville, president of the British Parking Association & head of user experience, Conduent Transportation

n Jamie Ashford, director, DCB Legal

n Nigel Coltman, general manager, Egis

n Dean Fennell-Connell, sales director, UK parking and public safety, Conduent Transportation

n Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive, CIVEA

n Will Hurley, chief executive, International Parking Community (IPC)

n Gavin Manger, business development UK, Egis

n Derek Millard-Smith, partner, JMW Solicitors

n Chris Newman, regional director, Conduent Transportation

n Annie Oliver, legal and compliance manager, Parking Control Management (UK)

n Stefan Rollnick, head of The Misinformation Cell, Lynn Global

n Richard Williams, co-founder and director, Transfer 360

n Chris Willis, senior technology product manager, Conduent Transportation

n Alan Wood, founder, National Persistent Evaders Database (NPED)

EXHIBITION

The Enforcement Summit 2023 provides your company with the perfect opportunity to carefully target the marketing of your products and services to those within the smart city planning, active travel, intelligent mobility and parking sectors. To participate in this sector-defining event contact Jason Conboy. Email: jason@landor.co.uk

EXHIBITORS INCLUDE:

SERVICES DIRECTORY

YOUR GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION, CONSULTANCY, PARKING SYSTEMS, TECHNOLOGY AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES

The Leading Independent Consultancy for all your parking solu琀ons

Established in 1991, with over 230 sa琀s昀ed customers comprising both public and private sector (including Local Authority and Health and Educa琀on establishments). Quality parking solu琀ons provided by our experienced in house specialists:

GIS mapping and surveying

• MTO site surveys and digi琀sing.

• On street TRO signs and lines: legality and condi琀on surveys (sample surveys also available).

• GIS mapping of TRO surveys, produc琀on of digital maps and TRO management for Order wri琀ng, upda琀ng and consolida琀on.

• Data extrac琀on and conversion of text based schedules to digi琀sed map based solu琀ons.

• Length of stay, usage, and occupancy parking surveys, both on and o昀 street.

• Compliance surveys and data analysis.

• Surveying and mapping of infrastructure assets.

Contact:

Consultancy services

• Financial appraisal and eciency reviews of parking service provision.

• Collabora琀ve working – joint no琀ce processing and shared enforcement.

• On and O昀 street trac regula琀on order wri琀ng.

• DPE and CPE feasibility studies and implementa琀on.

• Tari昀 reviews.

• DPE/CPE services speci昀ca琀on wri琀ng and tender evalua琀on.

Peter Lowe B.Eng., C.Eng., M.I.C.E., FBPA

Tel: 01492585055 or 07900264137

Email: plowe@rtaassociates.co.uk

RTA Associates Ltd www.rtaassociates.co.uk

ENFORCEMENT & DEBT RECOVERY SERVICES

For more information on our services, please contact:

Lauren Appleby (North) lappleby@newlynplc.co.uk 07931 811088

Shaun Byrne (South) sbyrne@newlynplc.co.uk 07964 764099

DOCUMENT AND STATIONERY SERVICES

www.parkingandsecuredocuments.com

PSD - incorporating The Parking Shop –is the market leader for parking related statutory document mailings and sustainable manual enforcement stationery.

We also supply line marking and signage solutions and as part of our service we offer on site surveys and reports.