Formed a month ago to improve fairness and standards within the parking industry, the BPA Approved Operator Scheme Board has restated its commitment to more robust compliance testing and clearer processes for dealing with complaints.
At its first meeting, the Board also committed to early examination of the requirements for the introduction of a fully independent arbitration service and improved communication with members.
Board members , including consumer and business representatives and government observers, are of the opinion that the most effective way to bring about a change in the quality and fairness of parking enforcement on private land is to work together with the parking industry to raise standards, holding to account those operators whose standards fall below acceptable levels.
Keith Banbury, OBE, Chair of the new Board, said: “We agreed that the Board’s objective is to hold the industry to account in improving standards of management for private off-street car parks. As such, thekey areas of compliance, communication and complaints must be at the top of our list. We also discussed for the first time an independent arbitration service, but this will take some time to examine, and funding will be a major issue that will not be resolved quickly.”
The Approved Operator Scheme, backed by a Code of Practice, is a voluntary scheme for parking operators which offers guidelines for fair and reasonable operation. Membership has been popular in the first 18 months of operation of the Scheme, with 85 member companies committing to operate within the spirit of the Code, and in a way which offers a better standard of service for motorists.
Board member, Kevin Delaney, Head of Road Safety at the Institute for Advanced Motorists Motoring Trust, said: “Our first meeting gave an early indication of both the diversity of background and opinion around the table, and the level of dedication from Board members, in particular the non-industry members. Much of the meeting was spent familiarising ourselves with the new Code of Practice and recent changes, but there were some clear commitments made by all parties to extending transparency and fairness within parking management on private land. Members agree that the Scheme is not perfect, but it is manifestly better than no standards or regulation, and it represents something we can build on.”
The Approved Operator Scheme, launched in 2007, is the parking industry’s response to provide self regulation where no laws exist. The scheme is still in the early stages of development and is therefore not complete, but it has met initial objectives, which were to introduce a set of standards where previously none existed.
AOS Board
Chair: Keith Banbury OBE
DVLA (Observer)
Kevin Delaney – Institute of Advanced Motorists Motoring Trust
Helen Smith – Mobilise
Gordon Telling – Freight Transport Association (non-voting)
Amanda Lumby – British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (non-voting)
Jo Abbott – RAC Foundation (non-voting)
David Blake – Parking Control Management (UK) Ltd
Mark Griffiths – MET Parking Services Ltd
Simon Renshaw-Smith – Excel Parking Services Ltd
Mendy Sudak – Ranger Services Ltd
Linda Baker – Watford Council
Les Knight – Euro Car Parks Ltd
Patrick Troy – BPA Chief Executive (non-voting)
Kelvin Reynolds – BPA Director of Technical Services (non-voting).
