National news Round-up of stories affecting the profession across the UK H o Reports of abuse Civil enforcement officers have reported an increase in abuse (see page 18). To counter this, local authorities and private operators have sought to explain to communities why enforcement is still needed. APCOA released a statement that said: During this challenging time, [enforcement] activity is critical as we support our emergency services and local authorities to ensure traffic is freeflowing and keep providing essential services. Our officers are also providing advice about parking and trying to assist other key workers. We appeal to everyone to remember that our APCOA colleagues are working in a public-facing role at a difficult time, and they deserve consideration and respect. Some councils also reported that a spike in abuse helped inform their decision to scrap all parking charges to help protect their frontline staff. DfT welcomes views The Department for Transport is welcoming views on its Transport Decarbonisation Plan. In the foreword to Decarbonising Transport: setting the challenge, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that transport has a huge role to play in the economy reaching net zero. 2020 will be the year we set out the policies needed to tackle transport emissions. This document marks the start of this process. In the coming months, we will work with you to develop the plan, with a vision for how a net-zero transport system will benefit us all. He goes on to say how public transport and active travel will be the first choice for our daily activities. We will use our cars less and be able to rely on a convenient, cost-effective and coherent public transport network. You can read the document at bit.ly/PNMay20decarbplan Share your views by emailing TDP@dft.gov.uk and follow @transportgovuk on Twitter. Free parking website saves NHS valuable time The BPA and members Parkopedia, YourParkingSpace and JustPark have created a website that enables NHS staff, health and social care workers and NHS volunteers (critical care workers) to find free parking locations. The platform has been designed to support the governments free parking scheme for critical workers during the Covid-19 emergency. It is hoped it will save workers time as they focus on the national effort to tackle the virus. It contains more than one million parking spaces at car parks, privately owned spaces and driveways, and is supported by the wider parking community. In a few easy steps, the site shows how to locate available free parking and whether registration or a pass is needed to confirm eligibility. Kelvin Reynolds, BPA director of corporate and public affairs, said: Members of the BPA are focusing attention on doing the right thing to help during this national emergency. The new search facility will help NHS staff and critical care workers easily find available free parking close to where they need to be. It is one less thing for these amazing workers to worry about and can save time when their focus is on saving lives. Visit nhs-freeparking.co.uk To register your car park or drive, please contact support.uk@parkopedia.com Scotlands remaining hospital parking charges dropped until 30 June Parking charges at three Scottish hospitals have been scrapped until the end of June, the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has confirmed. She told MSPs that charges at Dundees Ninewells Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary will be waived from 30 March. Charging for parking at other NHS car parks in Scotland was scrapped in 2008, but the remaining three car parks require users to pay because they are run by private operators. The charges could not be scrapped because of long-term private finance initiative (PFI) contracts. Announcing the decision, Freeman said: I said I would act to remove parking charges from those PFI car parks in our hospital settings, so car parking charges have been removed for three months. POPLA gives motorists more time Motorists wanting to contest parking tickets will be given more time to prepare their case, under changes announced by POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals) in response to coronavirus. All appeals received after 6 April 2020 will be put on hold and no action will be taken until further notice. POPLA says motorists are often keen to revisit the site of the car park where they were issued with the parking charge notice in order to gather evidence. As revisiting a car park would be classed as non-essential travel during the lockdown, some people are currently unable to submit effective appeals. John Gallagher, lead adjudicator at POPLA, said: Motorists should still register new appeals but they will have the opportunity to submit further details when they are able to revisit car parks. 6 britishparking.co.uk PN May20 pp6-7 News.indd 6 23/04/2020 12:38