Car Park abuse – Ideas to help mitigate the impact of poor parking on your site Headlines about drivers parking inappropriately just to get nearer their destination are, unfortunately, not uncommon. Here are some Ideas to help mitigate the impact of poor parking on your site… Explore more Tackling Car Park Abuse There have been news reports of a motorist leaving his car in the middle of a London road to go shopping; a parent doing likewise to get closer to her child’s school at pick-up time; and a sports fan bringing traffic to a standstill to get to a game. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that from 15 possible choices the top factor in choosing where to park is location. Position it seems is more pivotal than price or a protected environment. When surveyed, motorists expressed a clear preference for being as close as possible to their destination. Three-quarters said a car park is their preferred parking option and more than two thirds said they chose the closest car park to where they needed to get to. Cost and tariffs were less important. Alongside location, ease of access, little or no queuing and the number of spaces available are influencers as well as bays that comfortably accommodate their vehicle. That’s encouraging news for owners and managers of car parks – if you’re managing a site in the most efficient, customer-friendly way. Why is your car park abused? When a car park is in a popular location with limited or prohibited parking in the surrounding area, it can become a target for motorists who want to park closer to their chosen destination or avoid paying for parking elsewhere – unless it is properly managed. There are many reasons why car parks are misused. You might be near a busy train station, shopping centre or hospital or you may just have insufficient awareness or enforcement of your terms of use. Whatever the reason, the use and abuse of your car park by motorists who shouldn’t be there can have a detrimental impact on your business. It can deter genuine customers from returning, make patients late for important appointments and it can reduce your parking revenue. It’s an accepted fact that a customer’s on-site experience begins when they drive up to the car park. First impressions count – so you need to make sure you’re sending out the right messages to the right people. Solutions for change By putting effective management in place, you will not only ensure that your car park functions better for its intended use, but also improve the experience for legitimate customers. A bespoke solution tailored to the individual requirements of your site will ensure regulations and restrictions are visible and enforced and allow easy identification of those who choose to break them. There are various measures to limit the misuse of your car park and ensure it is a correctly-used business asset that also actively improve the overall user experience for the people who are supposed to be there. Effective car park management doesn’t just protect your site against car park abuse, it also generally makes your car park better and a more attractive prospect to potential visitors. The solutions you put in place can be guided by ANPR data and understanding. For example, payment options can be tailored to your visitors by looking at their preferred way of managing their parking. Meanwhile, occupancy data will reveal the potential space you make available for pre-booking. Informed decisions are the most impactful and tracking the performance of your car park via ANPR lets you see how your car park is working and what the new solutions are achieving. Erecting clear signage – a simple but effective solution setting out who is entitled to use the facilities and when. Use staff parking permits – these can be managed via an online portal for greater control, versatility and security. Installing a simple but flexible terminal – this can provide exemption from restrictions with free or extended parking by entering specific registration details. Issuing Parking Charges – the private land version of parking tickets. These put a stop to misuse, preventing inconvenience for bona-fide car park users. Booking a parking space online – pre-booking creates a free-flowing, seamless system by enabling customers to effortlessly log-on, pay and park. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) – technology that records vehicle registrations allowing cars to access and exit sites quickly, while deterring those motorists who should not be there. Helping you take control of your car park At Parkingeye we believe that no two car parks or indeed clients are the same. We’ve worked on thousands of different car parks, addressing all kinds of car park abuse, challenges and issues. We understand the importance of providing individually tailored solutions that meet the needs of our customers and ultimately your users. Why not find out more about how Parkingeye can work with you to ensure your site is used to its full potential. Get in touch today and let’s make your car park a number one destination for motorists. Get in touch More from our blog... How does ANPR work, and how does it benefit your car park? Automatic Number Plate Recognition, or ANPR has been a mainstay of car park management for several years, but it does... Read more Why you need to embrace parking apps As a society, we have all become increasingly reliant on smart devices. It’s easy to see why. Access to information,... 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