Maximising Private Car Parking Enforcement

Whether you run a small residential car park with a couple of dozen spaces or a large commercial or retail site with several thousands of spaces, the biggest headache is enforcement – tackling those who have decided that the parking rules on your private land do not apply to them and chosen to park with no permit and no payment.J.G. Ballard quipped in his 2003 novel Millennium People: “When Armageddon takes place, parking is going to be a major problem.” In actual fact, it sometimes feels that any kind of car park enforcement activity seems to invoke an Armageddon-like response.Yet, by choosing to park on your land, the driver has voluntarily entered into a contract with the car park contractor and is, therefore, in breach of that contract.This is why one of the most important elements introduced by a car park enforcement company is signage.Importance Of SignageIt is imperative that you display signage in your car park stating that, by parking, 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.’In short, the driver should NOT park their car if they do NOT agree to this contract.They should leave with immediate effect.Enforcing Compliance MethodsHaving clarified your legal position with regards to a private car parking enforcement agency managing your car park, there are a number of ways that you can be reassured that your car park is being monitored to reduce the risk of unauthorised parking and any costs associated with charge collection.It is important to be aware that clamping is not an option for private land. Under UK law, private landowners are not allowed to clamp a car or prevent it from leaving their land. Only vehicles on public land can be clamped.Warden PatrolsThe traditional ‘traffic warden’ is much maligned, but for car park owners, they are an essential element in the defence against illegal parking. As well as the ‘eyes and ears’ of a warden patrol keeping a watch on the comings and goings of vehicles, these enforcement officers are a physical reminder to drivers that they are indeed in breach of contract through parking in that location. A glimpse of a hi-vis jacket will soon have them back at the wheel, heading off in another direction.However, warden patrols often have a large area to cover and cannot be expected to be in the right place at the right time all the time. Luckily, technology has advanced to such a degree now that, by implementing a number of different options, you will find that you are maximising your efforts to reduce illegal parking on your land.Buy A Ticket!Penalty Charge Notices are still the most widely used and enforceable form of enforcement against parking illegally on private land. In fact, in 2020, more than 4.4 million penalty notices were issued.Giving people the option to purchase a ticket further reinforces the ‘contract’ element of choosing to park in your car park. Again, clear signage is essential to warn people of the consequences of choosing to avoid paying for a ticket and reconfirming that the car park enforcement officer has the legal right to issue a PCN (Penalty Charge Notice).Of course, if they buy a ticket, then they are fulfilling the terms of the contract and are perfectly within their rights to park within their allotted time slot.Self-Ticketing AppsYou can take advantage of the latest smartphone technology by downloading a self-ticketing app linked to your car parking enforcement company. These give you the flexibility to submit photos of offending vehicles that are illegally parked on your land and upload the details to the management company’s central office, from where a ticket is issued directly to the vehicle owner.This eliminates the need for you personally to approach the vehicle owner, protecting you against potential abuse.ANPR – Automatic Number Plate RecognitionAn Automatic Number Plate Recognition System is the equivalent of a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year on-duty ‘virtual’ warden, eliminating the need for any on-site staff. This failsafe system captures a picture of a car entering the car park, logging time, and registration details. A back-office system then ‘whitelists’ the details against its database. If you are a company car park with regular stayers, then staff members will enter and leave with no consequences. However, a non-whitelist vehicle will be logged leaving, and a PCN issued accordingly.Countrywide Parking Management works with landowners across the UK to manage their car parking enforcement issues. For more information, you can contact Countrywide directly to discuss your requirements. Previous Private Car Park Rules And Regulations Next How To Manage And Prevent Car Park Problems I3 Media