Whether you like it or not, road transport underpins our everyday lives in the UK. Walking, cycling and public transport play important transport roles but for the delivery of goods and services to a large population motorised vehicles are essential. For many wishing to access those goods and services, a car provides an efficient means of carrying heavy shopping and large items. And all vehicles, commercial and private, need to park.
In addition, cars have become an essential part of family life allowing many to play a full part in the social and economic life of the country.
For some motorists, however, deciding to use the car will involve concern about parking at their destinations: will it exist, how expensive will it be, what will be the risk of incurring a penalty (and how would that eventuality be dealt with) ?
These matters should be of equal concern to those responsible for the land on which people park. But this is not always the case. Some landowners, housing associations and even supermarkets allow parking enforcement operators to act as their agents without taking measures to ensure these agents will always achieve the same high customer care standards they would expect of others within their organisations.
The British Parking Association’s (BPA) members are obliged to follow a Code of Professional Conduct. In the absence of government regulation of the parking industry, the RAC Foundation believes that anyone responsible for parking on private land should, as a minimum, consult the BPA’s Code of Professional Conduct before appointing anyone to deal with parking and the public.
Companies who are bona fide members of the BPA can be found on their website.
