Parking innovation Contractual tie-ins There is a challenge because local authorities are often tied into contracts. However, as consumers experience the benefits of using it within local authorities, Randall believes the NPP will gain momentum and push other councils, across the country, to want to deliver the same benefit. For local authorities, the huge benefit of the NPP is the reduction or eradication of the need for procurement. Service providers would be accepted as suppliers for the NPP after going through rigorous vetting processes before they are approved: to this end, the NPP is underpinned by Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS). While it remains in the earliest of stages, with five local authorities on board for this year and another 20 planning to join by the end of 2023, the NPP has the potential to be a huge game changer for urban parking operations not just in the UK, but across Europe. This is the opinion of Jon Allan, the BPAs head of technology, innovation and research. The APDS opportunity for European interoperability, in which 27 countries are all using the same standards, could be huge. Then there is the opportunity for digital traffic regulation orders, which tie into the APDS, to also tie into NPP. Allans enthusiasm is shared by Bennett: I dont have a crystal ball, but there is potential for autonomous vehicles (AVs) and connected vehicles to link into the NPP. Bringing EV chargepoints into the NPP adds another layer. In Manchester, the parking team are already seeing an increased visibility of parking estate. Service providers, such as app payment suppliers, are proactively using technology to direct motorists to parking sites. With access to real-time parking data, motorists are able to locate parking spaces quickly. This means less stressed motorists, fewer vehicles circling the streets, and fewer emissions being released. Reimagining the car park Multi-modal travel options may also provide an opportunity to release some parking estate for other uses. By providing parking out of town and then offering other modes of transport bus, tram, cycleways, escooters, AVs city centre car parks can be used for other community activities. At the most recent meeting of the Smarter Parking Group, Randall raised the issue of signage, asking whether there would be confusion over location codes for parking payments as local authorities switch from current provision to the NPP. The answer may lie in a universal sign for NPP, which would displace the location codes and additional signage, and send the simple message that all apps will work for this car park. One of the architects of the NPP, Keith Williams, pointed to the example of the Dutch, who already have a single sign for all car parks operating within their national parking platform. The answer to how the NPP fits into the wider vision of smarter parking lies with the adoption of new and emerging technologies to make parking part of the solution to creating smart cities. The role of parking operations managers is to understand how best to use digital solutions for the most efficient parking service. The role of the NPP will be to procure the best digital solutions, including digital permits, cashless machines and third-party navigation systems. For this reason, smart cities are synonymous with smart parking. * For more about the NPP, see Parking News, October 2022: bit.ly/PNNov22NPP Smarter Parking The Smarter Parking Group, part of the Transport Technology Forum, is led by Graham Hanson, head of smarter traffic management at the Department for Transport, and is run by the BPA. Zoom meetings are held every other month 9.30am-11am on the first Friday of that month. An in-person meeting is taking place on Tuesday 15 November at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester. For more information, see britishparking.co.uk/Transport-Technology-Forum or contact jonathan.a@britishparking.co.uk. 16 PN Nov 2022 pp14-17 Lead Feature.indd 16 27/10/2022 13:04 m207