Car Park Management By The Professionals

At the end of 2021, there were 32,889,462 registered cars in the UK – an increase of nearly 40 per cent over the last 25 years.Everywhere these cars are fighting for space – and as a car park owner, you want to make sure that those who are parking in your space have a legitimate reason to do so. Whether you are looking for solutions to school parking problems, residential car parking solutions, or seeking a parking management system that will ensure your car park is viable and free flowing, an effective parking management company will offer you a number of services to best suit your needs.Before anything happens, the first step in systemising your car park management is to display signage around your car park as evidence of the contractual obligations of those who choose to park illegally on your property.Importance of signageThe signage that you display in your car park must clarify that by parking on your land, they agree to pay ‘consideration in the form of a ‘parking charge’ to the sum of £100 to be paid within 28 days of issue.’ The sign continues to clearly outline that the charge is repeated every 24 hours that the car remains in the car park and that failure to pay will mean that ‘enforcement action may incur additional costs that will be added to the value of the parking charges.’What this means is that the driver should NOT park their car if they do NOT agree to this contract. Countrywide supplies and maintains these signs on your behalf. Their expertise ensures they know exactly where to put the signs, and how many, to gain optimum exposure.Issuing permitsCountrywide also issues both physical and virtual permits on your behalf. This ensures that they know exactly who does have the right to park on your land.So, once we know who is parking, and that the warning systems have been put in place, the next stage of parking management is enforcement.Parking Enforcement – warden patrolsUniformed, trained professionals are the backbone of car park management companies, and while today’s technology plays a strong supporting role, nothing beats the presence of human beings physically patrolling the ‘front line.’Countrywide patrols are completely free of charge to car park owners, and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year across all residential, retail, and commercial car parks. The company also runs a 24-hour helpline so that you can call in a team if you have an emergency situation outside of their usual patrol hours.On-site car parking chargesIf you are happy for casual visitors to use your car park and pay for the hours that they are there, then Countrywide can set you up with both pay and display machines, as well as app-based cashless payment systems.Parking management technology may have moved on considerably, but there is still a need for pay and display machines depending on the demographic of your car park. A traditional pay and display machine will take both cash and card payments, and Countrywide will regularly visit to make sure the machines are maintained, collect cash, and replace ticket spools.However, the upcoming generations of car owners are increasingly dependent on their phones for making payments, and apps such as JustPark offer a much more seamless integration that not only streamlines payments but also literally puts you on the map for local car parking availability.ANPR – Automatic Number Plate RecognitionWhile our ‘human’ wardens provide a vital service to car park owners, ANPR parking systems are a real virtual support that gives them eyes and ears when they cannot physically be on the ground themselves.The ANPR systems clocks vehicles as they come in and out of the car park to provide a failsafe record of their length of stay and how much they need to pay, or whether they are registered with a valid licence and therefore don’t need to pay. This is particularly useful for car parks where there is a high turnover of vehicles, such as airports and other transport hubs, or in commercial car parks where parking is restricted, and there is a regular coming and going of employees.Car park maintenanceFinally, as part of our service, we monitor all the car parks under our management for maintenance issues. We report back and will oversee repairs and remedial work on your behalf.If you would like to understand what Countrywide can do for your car park management, contact us now for a free survey. Previous How Preventing The Abuse of Car Parking Regs Can Save Residents From Other Forms of Abuse Next How Technology is Changing Car Parking