Your response Support in a troubled time Since the coronavirus lockdown started, we have been receiving stories of BPA members going above and beyond to help their communities receive essential supplies, get key workers safely to work, and look after each other Free parking for key workers Even before the government announced that parking should be free for NHS staff, health and social care workers, and volunteers,* many local authorities and operators had already made moves to do this and support key workers at this difficult time. Citipark, APCOA and NCP were among the operators to do this. Jonathan Scott, CEO of NCP, said: We salute you NHS, from the bottom of our hearts, and want to thank you sincerely for all the work you are doing. We hope this gesture helps you focus on your incredible work. Edward Ziff, chief executive of CitiPark: said: Each of us will have our own stories about how the NHS has been there for us in time of need. We hope our initiatives will go some way to helping vital healthcare staff in these unprecedented times. Local authorities also waived onstreet and off-street charges to help NHS workers returning from a shift to fi nd parking spaces close to their homes. Steve Davenport, Shropshire Councils cabinet member for highways and transport, said: Weve made all council car parks free to use to help our key workers and those who need to make essential journeys for food or medical reasons. However, it will help our key workers even further if people can keep on-street parking spaces free for those who need them most, and park their vehicles in one of the councils car parks. A new website enabling NHS staff, health and social care workers, and NHS volunteers (critical care workers) to fi nd free parking locations quickly We hope our initiatives will go some way to helping healthcare staff in these unprecedented times and easily was set up by the BPA and members Parkopedia, YourParkingSpace and JustPark.** The new site contains more than one million parking spaces in car parks and on privately owned spaces and driveways. Anthony Eskinazi, founder and CEO of JustPark, said: This is clearly a very difficult time, with many challenges that require us to pull together to overcome. There is a general sense that people want to help one another, and this website is one of the ways the parking community has done just that. RingGo worked with its 140 local authority customers to offer solutions so they could easily provide free parking to NHS staff and volunteers. Peter ODriscoll, managing director, said: These are incredibly difficult times for NHS workers, individuals and our local authority customers, who are managing a whole raft of requirements. We are doing everything we can to help. The company also delivered Easter eggs to staff at its local hospital in Basingstoke as a thank you. 10 britishparking.co.uk PN May20 pp10-13 your Response.indd 10 23/04/2020 12:44