titlepage/contents pg 1-16 - British Parking Association

154 Chapter 9enforcement costs. Free parkingin a controlled area in effect issubsidised by those who park incharged areas and this may bedifficult to justify.Where there is access controland payment is collected at thestart or end of the parking act,patrol staff are not required forrevenue protection. Operatorsshould still consider whetherpatrolling is desirable to providesecurity in the car park, however.If the car park in question hasCCTV, good lighting and naturalsurveillance from passingpedestrians, this will be lessnecessary than if the car park isremote and unmonitored.Compliance monitoringEnforcement of all parkingrestrictions should be monitoredagainst agreed compliancelevels. Compliance monitoringsurveys may take a sample ofstreets, recording the number ofillegally parked vehicles. Thenumber and choice of roadssurveyed would depend uponthe extent of enforcement issuesarising.The following illustration may behelpful. The total parkingcapacity of the road(s) beingsurveyed is recorded, togetherwith the number of illegallyparked vehicles, ie, the numberof spaces occupied by vehiclesnot displaying a valid permit,voucher or Pay and Displayticket, and by those vehiclesexceeding the period for whichparking has been paid. For thepurpose of a compliance report,unoccupied parking spaces aredeemed to be “legally occupied”.The expected compliance levelshould be stipulated within thecompliance contract. There isevidence in schemes, wheresuch an approach is used, that acompliance level of 80% orgreater will indicate an adequatelevel of enforcement. This maynot appear to be an overlystringent target but it is sensitiveto vehicles setting down orpicking up passengers or (whereit is not banned) loading, whichare subject to exemptions andtherefore not parked incontravention of the regulations,as well as drivers returning fromticket machines and other suchoccurrences, where PCNsshould not be issued.References(1) The Institution of Highways &Transportation, June 2001, Costs andBenefits of Decriminalised ParkingEnforcement.(2) Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders(Procedures) (England and Wales)Regulations 1996 (SI No. 2489).(3) Traffic in London – Traffic Managementand Parking Guidance (Department ofTransport, Local Authority Circulars5/92, 1/95 and Government Office forLondon - February 1998).(4) Traffic Signs Regulations and GeneralDirections 2002 (SI No.3113).(5) Guidance on Decriminalised ParkingEnforcement Outside London(Department of Transport LocalAuthority Circular 1/95 and WelshOffice Circular 26/95) and TrafficManagement and Parking Guidancefor London (Government Office forLondon – February 1998).(6) Removal and Disposal of VehiclesRegulations 1986 (SI No. 183).(7) Road Traffic Act 1991, (Amendment ofSection 76(3)) Order 1995SI1995/1437.(8) Security Industries Act, 2001.