Engagement, enforcement, compliance

The Enforcement Summit opened with a set of thought-provoking presentations. Chaired by Daniel Casey, head of strategic development at Conduent Transportation, the panel offered some solutions to the challenges faced by the traffic and parking sectors.

New ways of working

The parking enforcement sector has evolved over the past 30 years, said Nigel Coltman, general manager of Egis. He reflected on how it was once by defined by traffic wardens in authoritarian uniforms writing fines using a pen and notebook. It is now a public service that makes use of a raft of digital technologies: handheld devices, number plate reading cameras, virtual permits, apps and websites.

Coltman explored how local authorities can use ‘scan cars’ as mobile ANPR systems to spot vehicles that appear to be flouting parking rules and direct the deployment of civil enforcement officers to check them out before issuing a penalty if required. Already used in European cities such as Amsterdam and Paris, scan cars are now being linked to the Egis Dispatch app as part of a trial in Milton Keynes.

Things are looking up

Local authorities across the UK are implementing clean air schemes that depend on camera-based enforcement systems being able to identify vehicles that are compliant with scheme rules.

Chris Newman, regional director of Conduent Transportation described how a vehicle ‘look-up’ system was devised for Oxfordshire’s pioneering Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ). Conduent has developed an emissions look-up platform that uses logic gates to classify vehicles – for example, a 2-litre diesel cannot be a zero-emissions vehicle. The platform cross-references DVLA, DVSA and UKVD vehicle data to make an accurate decision on whether a specific vehicle is compliant with the ZEZ. Conduent is preparing the platform for use nationwide.

Protecting parking people

Parking is an emotionally charged subject and unfortunately, as front line workers, parking attendants often face the brunt of abuse from angry drivers. Annie Oliver, legal and compliance manager at Parking Control Management (UK), delivered a sobering talk on the reality of violence and aggression faced by parking attendants.

To gain a better insight into the prevalence of violence and aggression towards patrol officers, PCM conducted a survey among its operative workforce. The research revealed:

• 92.5% of respondents reported that incidents of violence and/or verbal abuse occur at least several times a month and 67.5% reported that they occur at least once a week

• 68.3% have experienced physical violence in the past year

• 95.1% have experienced verbal harassment in the past year.

To put things in perspective, the national average for employees to face threatening behaviour is a mere 1.4%. Even security staff working in the protective services sector experience an incident rate of just 8.4%.