Town centre parking A quartet of equally weighted factors comes into consideration when people are looking for a parking space cost, safety, availability and accessibility countries, Mingardo believes that demand for parking is quite inelastic which means that motorists are opposed to any parking price increases. People dont like to pay for parking because they think parking can be provided for free, and that it doesnt cost money, he says. However, Mingardo concedes that a willingness to pay higher prices for parking does increase depend ing on the location of the parking facilities and what is on offer in the town. Normally, the more attractive the city or location, the more people are willing to pay higher parking tariffs, he says. But what we must remember is that people do not park for longer or come more regularly to cities because of the price of the parking. They come because there is something in the town or city that they like. Town centre experience Mingardos point about experience outweighing cost is backed up by several reports that emphasise retailers need to consider the overall experience as much as the quality or cost of what they are selling when people visit the high street. Putting on special events, opening a pop-up caf, offering a personal shopper experience, ensuring that there are adequate rest facilities these are all things retailers and the local authority can work together to provide. Even though Mingardos point about people not visiting a town simply to park is true, the pulling power of a pleasant and convenient parking experience cannot be underestimated. Betts talks of the importance of keeping the facilities as clean, tidy and safe as possible, while OKelly looks to a future in which parking makes the best use of digital technology and becomes even more user-friendly . According to O Kelly, the advent of app-facilitated parking is something that is about to transform the parking experience. Local authorities working alongside private operators and app providers produces the best-case scenario, in which real-time availability is accessible by motorists. Through the apps, motorists can locate electric vehicle charging points, receive information for all parking offers, and carry out their own price comparisons. A revolution in parking For its part, the BPA is currently engaged in a pilot project in Manchester with the International Parking and Mobility Institute and the European Parking Association as part of the Alliance for Parking Data Standards. This could pave the way for wider adoption of technology within parking. It will, says OKelly, revolutionise the parking experience. The fi nal point to make here is about the power of parking to change behaviours. Mingardo, for one, is not convinced. A price hike might persuade people to use other forms of transport in the short term, but in the long-term people will accept the price rise and return to their former parking habits. OKelly, however, offers a perspective on additional factors to consider, which highlights the complexity of this field. There is no one size fits all solution, he says. People do not park for longer or visit more regularly because of the price of the parking; they come because there is something in the town or city that they like Rather, the answer lies with joined-up approaches to technology and tying in parking with carbon reduction. We all want to breathe clean air and reduce pollution, so better management of parking to reduce congestion and stop unnecessary circling for spaces is needed. Our research indicates that most people are prepared to walk for up to 10 minutes from free parking to their destination. This suggests that carefully planned and located parking alongside new pedestrianised areas may be met with more public acceptance than some might expect. 18 britishparking.co.uk PN Apr20 pp16-19 Lead Feature.indd 18 24/03/2020 14:10 Par