Parking: customer service

Parking Community service or revenue raiser

An economist’s perspective

COLIN BUCHANAN

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Question time Job well done Serves her right Money in the bank Who cares A disaster

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Why are you in the parking business? Managing excess

demand Prioritising conflicting

demand Raising revenue Attracting

visitors/shoppers Reducing congestion Climate change

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Motorists confused by parking 93% motorists confused about parking

regulations 25% issued with a PCN last year 69% claim they were unfairly penalised 60% think some parking signs are

deliberately misleading so drivers can be fined

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Can you blame them

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Probably not

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Managing competing demands commuters’ cars parked

1.6m on-street 0.5m in public car parks

7m cars parked on street at home (only 40% of garages are used to park cars in)

1.2m households require resident parking permits

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Parking permits How much too

charge? Should it vary by

Location Engine size Number of cars Commercial or private

What exemptions should apply

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Paid for parking Managing excess

demand Raising revenue Attracting shoppers

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Parking a tale of two worlds Local government generated £1.3bn gross

from parking - £0.4bn gross London generates around half £560m gross

net £160m net However, of that, £110m is raked in by just

five authorities almost 100 local authorities lost money

£80m between them on parking in 2007/08

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If only it was free

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Closed shops and double yellow lines – are they related

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How do shoppers travel

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Why do you shop here Near to home 52 Wide range of goods or shops 17 Near to Work 15 Competitive prices 15 A particular shop 7 Other Services 4 Car Parking Availability 2

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Why do you shop elsewhere Wide Range of Goods / Shops 43%

Near to Home 29% Competitive Prices 26% A Particular Shop 6% Other Services 4% Car Parking Availability 3%

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We have the technology

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What image would you prefer your customers to have