titlepage/contents pg 1-16 - British Parking Association

Delivery of Schemes 101convenient if cash is used.Card payment is just asconvenient before as after.Although equipment costs arehigher, many operators nowfavour this method of paymentas exit delays are minimised. It isalso suitable for credit cardtransactions and, therefore,attractive for higher valuetransactions. It is desirable toavoid cash payments toattendants for fraud controlreasons, and to minimiseadministrative and bankingcosts. Where tariffs are high,such as at airports and in centralLondon, it is sometimesnecessary to provide anattendant payment option in payon-footcar parks.Some car parks (often atairports) photo-record theapproaching car at the barrier.This enables records to be keptincluding a photograph of thedriver, thus improving securityand reducing theft. This systemis also being used in someprivate car parks to restrictaccess to controlled areas (eg,Boots in Nottingham and privatecar parks at Gatwick Airport).Car registration numbers arephotographically recorded,converted into recognisablenumber plates and then checkedagainst approved lists.Car park quality can also beenhanced through the provisionof spacious lobby areas wherethe pay machine and otherfacilities can be located. Creditand debit card payments shouldbe made available.The disadvantage of pay-on-footcompared to pay-and-display isthat an entry and exit barriermust be provided in addition tothe ticket machine.Pay-on-exit usually requires exitbarriers and staff during hours ofoperation, but in most multistoreyand underground carparks staff will be requiredanyway for security reasons. Ingeneral, car parks withattendants in booths taking thefees at the exit have been reequippedfor pay-on-foot or paymachine-at-exit.This frees thestaff for security and customerassistance duties and reducesthe opportunities for fraud.Pay-machine-on-exit iseffective only where there areadequate exit lanes, as acustomer without change canblock a lane while they seekassistance. Where there are ahigh proportion of foreign (lefthand drive) cars, such as nearthe Channel ports, it may beworth installing machines onboth sides of each lane. Thisalso enables passengers tooperate the machine.Pre-payment may be especiallyconvenient for long-stay parkingwhen the trip is planned inadvance, such as at airports.Pre-payment may be suitablealso for regular parking activities,such as residents’ parkingpermits and commuter seasontickets.Season tickets are available inmany car parks. In pay-anddisplaycar parks this requires apermit to be displayed in thevehicle. In barrier controlled carparks it is normal to issue a cardthat operates the barrier. Caremust be taken to ensure thatfraud abuses are minimised fromthe use of season tickets.Permits displayed in vehicles aresometimes forged by colourphotocopying, and, although thecolour fades in time, they can bedifficult to detect. Permits should,therefore, be security printed in away that prevents the easierforms of abuse. Most card ticketshave an anti pass-back devicethat requires it to be used forentrances and exits alternately,and this prevents a driverpassing it back to a friend in thecar behind. However, if cards getinto the hands of attendants theycan use them to let people in andout for cash payments.MotorcyclesGovernment guidance requireslocal transport authorities to“take account of the needs ofmotorcyclists”. Spaces formotorcycles should be providedin off-street car parks, forexample, to assist in providing