Alpha Parking Seeks to Mix the Perfect Blend

Mention the phrase ‘blended learning’ to most people in the parking industry, and you are likely to be greeted by puzzled looks. Although the concept is a relatively new one, it is more than just a trendy ‘buzzword’ which will soon be forgotten. I believe the time is now ripe to use blended learning, an approach where delegates learn through a mix of different methods and activities; for instance, not just face to face learning but also via techniques such as e-learning and the use of interactive tools.

However the new Government’s policies pan out during the latest parliamentary term, we all know that funds are tight and local government, along with the public sector in general, is facing a severe squeeze. Yet standards of customer service and professionalism in the parking industry cannot slacken, and the ongoing training and development of parking professionals remains a legal requirement under the 2004 Traffic Management Act.

So, every pound invested in training over the next five years has to deliver maximum ‘bang for its buck’. During the last financial year alone, Alpha Parking has delivered around 77 training workshops, hosting approximately 500 plus delegates, and what has proved most effective is using a variety of training tools and techniques.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that a ‘one size fits all’ approach certainly doesn’t work in our diverse industry. From experience I know there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ training course in the parking industry; we have to cater for a tremendous amount of skills which need to be developed in the most appropriate ways. Examples range from understanding signs and lines to applying legislation and the writing and interpretation of traffic orders.

Trainers and their programmes must be flexible enough to deal with a tremendously varied mix of people, in terms of gender, ethnic background, ages and the different experience levels of the people undergoing the training. Just as there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ local authority – we’ve run courses for councils with about 50 CEOs (civil enforcement officers) and the 15 back office staff to support them, as well as training four CEOs and their single member of administrative support at a smaller local authority – there is no ‘typical’ delegate.

Everyone has different ways of learning and individuals are stimulated and motivated by different approaches. For instance, some people like to learn in peace and quiet while others prefer to take part in interactive sessions. To get the best results, you need a mix of approaches and delivery methods to meet the needs of your audience. Some of these will employ existing technology such as the internet, to download an ‘e-course’ perhaps, but often there may be no substitute for face-to-face support and shared experiences.

And there’s simply no excuse for training to be dull – your training provider should work hard to really engage the delegates in learning tasks. If the training experience is enjoyable, supportive and varied, people will learn much better!

Another advantage in these financially constrained times is that blended learning can see delegates complete their course at a faster pace. For example, compared to a traditional classroom based course that takes five days, a blended learning solution might cut the duration by two days.

That means CEOs or Notice Processing staff can learn more efficiently, and be back dealing with the public that bit quicker. This benefit could also be applied to other employees such as supervisors and team leaders.

With the new financial year already underway, and training managers again considering how to make their budget go as far as possible, can I recommend a few simple tips?

• Be clear about your objective for the training. What precisely do you want to achieve?

• Assess what methods; courses and learning styles are best for your audience

• Looking at the different types of learning on the market; and don’t try to cram in all your courses at once

• Remember to assess what works best for your people. ‘Hard assessment’ – by which I mean exams and quizzes – should form part of this process.

• Ideally, it is best to build up a long-term relationship with your training provider so he/she really gets to know your organisation, its people and aims over a period of time and can tailor the very best solutions

The latter may sound like a panacea in these difficult times. But given the multiple, complex challenges often facing parking operators today, making the right investment in developing your people is not something to be taken lightly.

The last few years has seen an exponential increase in the number of accredited courses available to the parking sector. Staff in a number of different job roles have benefitted from this with qualifications now available for, amongst others, Civil Enforcement Officers, Notice Processors, CCTV operators, Private Land Enforcement and Parking Team Leaders and Managers. This can only be positive for the sector as a whole which, with the ever increasing number of cars on our streets, has an important role to play in managing congestion within the UK. So where do we go from here? What does the future hold for training within the parking sector?

The introduction of accredited training has gone a long way to increasing the professionalism of the sector by equipping all involved with the knowledge necessary to carry out their roles efficiently and accurately. However, the parking sector still suffers from a negative public image and is seen by the general public as solely a means for local authorities to make an extra income. This is shown by the fact that there are still many groups and individuals, including the mainstream press, who attempt to undermine the sector. We are aware of a number of local authorities who have received Freedom of Information Requests regarding the training that staff receive; an obvious attempt to find fault in the way the sector operates.  Combating this negative image is not easy. Professional qualifications go some way to do this and training has an extremely important role to play in the future of the parking sector.

There is room for further accredited training courses which will aid the increased professionalism of the sector and also create further career paths for those that work within it. An area that I believe needs some specific attention is that of traffic orders. Traffic orders play an important role in parking enforcement and even the smallest error can have huge repercussions for local authorities. The drafting and making of traffic orders is a specific skill that seems to be on the wane. A professional qualification would help to encourage people to take on the role of traffic order maker and the sector as a whole would benefit in the long term.

The creation of a career path in general would also be a benefit. It is often said that many people working within the parking sector ‘fell into’ their roles rather than actively choosing this career path. However, that is not to say that there shouldn’t be a specific route into and through all levels of the job. There will be qualifications available for a career with the development of parking apprenticeships and the introduction of levels 3, 4, and 5 in leadership and management. However, there needs to be a framework in place for this to truly work.

There has been some interest from local authorities in the creation of training plans for staff. Alpha Parking have recently won the contract to develop a training plan for London Borough of Hounslow council which will span the next four years. The aim is to maintain high standards and professionalism within the parking department by encouraging staff to take courses and qualifications to increase their skills base. This is something that would benefit all local authorities and private companies within the sector and believe that the formation of standardised training and career plans will eventually roll out across the sector.

Standardised training plans also allow local authorities to share training resources going forward. Joined-up thinking when it comes to training will only benefit all within the sector. Sharing resources means that local authorities can ensure that training is efficient and cost-effective. A joined-up approach may also open the door for funding from the Skills Funding Agency. These are all things that are in early stages of development but in general the parking sector is making the right moves forward.

Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils to undergo City and Guilds Notice Processing Training

Southampton and Portsmouth City Council’s Notice Processing staff will become the first councils to be trained by Alpha Parking in the new City and Guilds Notice Processing Level 3 Qualification in September.

Southampton’s seven strong notice processing team who are part of the council’s ISO 1001-2008 accredited parking services will travel to Portsmouth City Council to join their nine staff and undergo the training in modular form. Though there are fierce football rivalries between the two cities, the council’s share training and knowledge on a regular basis which helps to maintain the high professional standards they set themselves.

The City and Guilds qualification is the first of its kind to be specifically designed for notice processing staff and gives delegates the skills necessary to pursue a career in this office based parking role. The course is taught in two units with the mandatory first unit providing an introduction to notice processing and information management. There is a choice of second unit depending on whether the delegate works in public or private enforcement, both of which develop delegates’ learning further. All units are assessed by multiple choice exams.

“We are delighted to be up and running in delivering this qualification” says Alpha Parking Director, Penny Winder. “It is an important step for the parking sector and we hope to see more qualifications like this being developed to help up-skill those who work within the industry”.

“Being able to share the training with Portsmouth City Council has provided us with the opportunity to limit the amount of time our staff are away from their desks and helps them to continue to provide a quality service whilst gaining a valuable City and Guilds qualification” says Southampton City Council’s Office Manager (Highways and Parking), Dave King. “Alpha Parking are supplying us with cost-effective, professional training that meets the individual needs of both councils”

“Portsmouth City Council is committed to providing staff with on-going support and training to ensure the council offers the best possible service” adds Portsmouth City Council’s Parking Office Manager, Denise Bastow. “For too long notice processing teams have been overlooked and we are delighted that there is finally a nationally recognised qualification that recognises their achievements”.

When it comes to the lines and signs on our roads, a standard approach is the best option, says Penny Winder, But how can we ensure conformity?

The ‘schedule’ element of the traffic order provides information to define the geographical position and physical extent of the restriction. How long should a yellow line be? Which street should be restricted to residents’ parking?

Traffic orders and schedules, have provided the legal foundation for parking restrictions for many years. For the local authority implementing the order, schedules need to be as free from ambiguity as possible, because any error can result in huge embarrassment for the local authority, as well as heavy financial costs — both in terms of rectifying the error and paying any claims that arise as a result of incorrect signage.For anyone new to the parking profession, a traffic order (TO) is the legal instrument by which traffic authorities — local councils, London boroughs, metropolitan councils or the Department for Transport — implement most controls on the road, such as signs, lines or parking restrictions.

The ‘schedule’ element of the TO provides information to define the geographical position and physical extent of the restriction. How long should a yellow line be? Which street should be restricted to residents’ parking? Between what times should parking be prohibited in that area Originally, schedules were always text documents providing a description in words of the location and extent of the restriction. However, words are open to interpretation and anyone who has worked in a local authority parking department for any length of time can probably regale you with stories about mis-interpretations and the consequences, As the years have passed, technology has moved forward enormously so we are now at a stage where schedules can be provided in the form of maps. All of which has sparked an inevitable debate. Schedules as maps are being advocated by some powerful institutions, such as Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATHS) — one of the adjudicating bodies dealing with appeals by motorists against penalty charge notices, and in the Guidance for New Procedures for Traffic Orders, due to be issued by the Department of Transport.

In some ways, the argument in favour of mapping schedules is strong, There has never been a standardised approach to text schedules, and this has led to problems of interpretation. For example, one person’s understanding of from the junction of High Street and Market Place” can be very different from that of someone else, depending on how you define “junction”.

Inevitably, there is room for human error, Lengthy pages of text, complicated drawings and convoluted descriptions can lead to all sorts of mistakes, Map-based schedules, on the other hand, call on the user to have the skill-set necessary to use the technology, as well as assuming a certain standard of map-reading ability. This becomes very relevant in areas that are heavily built up, as the map can become very crowded. These schedules are also more expensive, and more time-consuming to implement, than text-based equivalents. However, one advantage they do hold, is that they break down communication barriers. Through the use of clearly marked maps, restrictions become transparent to anyone for whom English is not their first language, as is often the case. The schedules also give a more easily defined and consistent approach and, once the user is familiar with the technology and mapping system, they are easier to apply to any situation.

So which side is the winner?

The map-based schedule is visually appealing, more easily understood and user-friendly and provides a clearer audit trail of changes and developments. All of these have to be advantages but the conversion can be an exercise requiring high skill levels and some cost.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was formed in 1971 and comprises seven states – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al Qaiwain. Today, the UAE is one of the world’s most important economic centres, largely due to its huge oil industry.

The seven states each maintains a great deal of independence, but they are governed by a Supreme Council of Rulers, made up of the seven emirs, who appoint the prime minister and cabinet for each state.

Although oil was the catalyst for growth in the UAE, it is the way the boom in the economy was handled that has led to the UAE being the centre of economic wealth that we see today. Oil was discovered in 1950s and the UAE began to export it in 1962. Sheik Zayed, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE spotted the potential for his country and directed the money from the oil sales into other areas of the economy – healthcare, education and the national infrastructure.

The UAE government has also realised the need for diversification and so, the UAE now has a booming tourism, construction and financial sector. Each of the states has approached diversification differently, but Dubai, which has smaller oil reserves, has been the state that has embraced diversification to the greatest extent.

The result has been an influx of investment into the Middle East, and Dubai itself is now seen as a financial gateway and cosmopolitan hub to the Middle East.

While the UAE remains conservative and authoritarian, it has relaxed its attitudes towards visitors, and Dubai in particular, is seen as very liberal in comparison to many Middle Eastern nations.

For UK-based companies the attractiveness of trading with the UAE is easy to see. It has an open-minded approach to business opportunities, it is aggressively diversifying, it is a gateway to commercial dealings with the remainder of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and it has a buoyant economy.

Among the growth sectors are : commercial aircraft; power generating equipment; defence equipment; computers and electronic products; and transport and infrastructure related goods and services. Oil and gas remain central to the economy, contributing about one-third of GDP and generating $118 billion in export revenues in 2012, and the industry is set for expansion as it seeks to increase its daily barrel production from 2.7 million to 3.5 million by 2017.

For companies seeking to trade in the UAE, it is essential to have a local partner – foreign firms must have a local agent or distributor. While each of the seven states is independent when it comes to trading arrangements with foreign companies, the UAE is a member of a number of international organisations, for example the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organisation.

Learn more about trading in the UAE

The tech world has been booming recently allowing thousands of start-ups to be created each year all around the globe. The web technologies and particularly the smart phone apps are revolutionising the way we live. From ordering food online, monitoring your weight, booking your cinema ticket or checking when your next train is, the opportunities are limitless.

What does it mean to the parking industry?

Major industries such as music have been completely disrupted by the emergence of apps such as Soundcloud, Deezer or Spotify. Could this happen to the parking industry? There is no doubt about it. Some major cities, young tech entrepreneurs and many stakeholders have been working on making our cities smarter and more connected.

In many big cities, millions of hours are lost looking for parking spaces creating huge traffic congestions which have been a headache for all the local authorities fighting the issue. To respond to this significant problem, mobile services are now being developed and cities have been experimenting new concepts. Services inform users on parking spaces availabilities, allow for payments by distance or simply make general information on traffic or fees better available and so on.

The emergence of parking friendly cities

These new concepts have emerged in the United States, particularly in San Francisco and Los Angeles where sensors have been integrated to pavements to share data in real time on the availability of parking spaces or on parking fees variations. The SFPark project by StreetSmart in San Francisco and the implementation of sensors by StreetLine in Los Angles started a couple of years ago. Since the success of these schemes, various European cities such as London with Paybyphone or even Nice, a European pioneer in the use of sensors to share timely relevant data, have emerged. Parking has also been a great concern in Abu Dhabi, for example, where parking managers work hard to keep roads clear of stationary vehicles and motorists hate being stuck in traffic jams. So the Dh9m jam buster and parking finder apps have just launched to respond to the need. Worldwide, local authorities understand the need to join forces between the parking industry and the technology for the best of everyone.

How it works

The objective is simple. The sensors on pavement will send real-time data to a centralised database allowing both citizens and local authorities to benefit from it. Local authorities are now aware of when and where parking violations occur and traffic warden productivity increases as they do not need to patrol everywhere all the time. Citizens are saving time and fuel when looking for parking spaces, they are less caught up in traffic congestion, are better aware of parking information and are able to pay remotely.

Parking industry and collaborative communities

The French company Apila has developed a new application allowing users to report a freed parking space to the members of the community within 500 meters. When a user needs a parking space, it makes a request which is sent to users that are parked. If the parked user accepts, they will then wait for the request user to arrive to take the space. This app will now be available on new Renault cars equipped with connected tablets. PlaceLib is a similar concept where a user will send information to the community a couple of minutes before leaving the parking space and the app will do the rest. A classic case of matching demand and supply.

Another example of a great community initiative comes from street cleaning in San Francisco. Here the MetroMile app helps the community to avoid street cleaning charges by alerting motorists when it is time to move to move a car. Cars that are parked on the street when the cleaners are out receive a $64 fine. MetroMile has a simple solution – it sends a push notification to residents 12 hours prior to scheduled street sweeping, and another one hour before. This gives residents a chance to move their vehicles and avoid a fine.

Is it all that easy?

These are very different approaches to the situations that sometimes occur worldwide. We have heard plenty of references from the media and, more shockingly, from the government, about the ‘war on motorists’ or ‘local authority cash cows’.

App developers have the right idea. They see a problem and they seek a solution that serves everyone well. The problem happens in both small and large cities, in fact among any population that need a system to allow everyone to move around freely and with little hindrance. This is what parking management exists for so If technology can provide answers, then lets embrace that technology.

Although energetic, the industry is still in a state of research and development with cities being the most legitimate stakeholders to test the ground. The new tech start-ups are full of ideas and collaboration between stakeholders – citizens, large companies, the government and local authorities – seems to be the best way forward when it comes to parking open data and the well being of everyone.

There are two theories about paying and parking. The first, outlined by the fictional character George Constanza from US hit show Seinfeld and backed up by many motoring groups and individuals, is that parking should be free for everyone – after all, who has the right to charge for the use of space? The second, which has been quoted extensively in the past few years is that no-one has the right to park for free, because providing parking of any sort comes at a cost. But, while the free parking lobby gets the popular vote with many motorists, it is worth having a look at the reasons why it is only fair to charge; and not just charge a nominal amount, but actually put a premium on parking.

Long term parkers

Let’s take a town centre example. Users will include shop staff, office workers, visitors and shoppers. A cheap or non-existent parking charge will lead to people parking for long periods of time. The majority of parking spaces will be taken by office workers and shop staff who turn up at 8am and leave at 5pm. This means one vehicle will have taken a parking space for nine hours. That’s fine if there is no demand for the space, but what if a number of shoppers turned up looking for a space for a couple of hours, couldn’t park and so went to the out-of-town retail park instead. The result of a poor pricing policy is a disgruntled visitor, another vehicle circling the town meaninglessly for a period of time and another nail in the coffin for the town centre.

By introducing short-term car parking and high prices, people will still use the parking space, but will leave after one or two hours, leaving it free for another motorist. The result: more visitors to the town centre.

A sensible strategy

This might appear harsh to the town centre workers, but by adopting a transport strategy that embraces all forms of transport then it is a workable and reasonable solution. Park and ride, trams and buses all cater for people who want to leave their car in one place all day at a cheap cost.

The obvious results are more visitors to the town centre and less environmental pollution. A side effect might be an increased number of walkers and cyclists, which has a public health benefit.

Example from the West-side

Then there is the environmental cost of parking. Here, we can look to San Francisco for a neat solution to a problem that was proving life-threatening. Pollution in the American city at the start of the 21st century were at dangerous levels and a lot of this was down to the sheer volume of traffic circling the city looking for parking spaces.

A private company, SF Park, joined forces with the San Francisco state transport department to introduce demand responsive parking. This meant that the prices were hiked when demand was high and lowered when demand dropped. The result of this initiative was two-fold: more people used public transport; and there was a 50 per cent drop in cruising traffic at peak times, leading to a dramatic improvement in air quality in the city. Parking charges were actually helping to improve the environment and influencing the way people planned their travel.

And this pattern was not limited to San Francisco. Across the US, higher parking prices meant that public transport use went up significantly.

All’s fair

All of this means that parking charges should be considered very carefully. There will be accusations that high parking costs are prohibitive to people on lower incomes, but there is already inequity in the cost of motoring. If we take a look at the bigger picture, a low cost and efficient public transport system, supporting a fair rate of parking charge, will mean a healthier environment and a greater ease of movement for everyone – now that is worth paying for!

‘Can parking save the high street?’ is a question that has been asked by local authority officers and town councillors ever since Mary Portas first entered the fray as the government’s ‘High Street Tsarina’.

Convenience and fairness

Queen Mary’s idea was to make parking free in the town centre, but the example from Aberystwyth, where the locals had unenforced parking thrust upon them, is enough to discount that as a very bad idea. Cars parked haphazardly soon had the residents of the Welsh town pleading for enforcement measures to be imposed.

However, we do agree with the idea that parking can save the high street. Not in some ‘free for all’, publicity grab by local politicians, but through parking policies that mean space is available for visitors, residents and businesses when and how they need it. Convenience, coupled with fairness, are the key to parking’s impact on the vibrancy of our towns.

A capital idea

One city where the parking policy is integral to the future is in Edinburgh. An organisation – Essential Edinburgh – has been appointed by the city council to make the city centre more appealing to visitors, residents and businesses, and chief executive, Andy Neal, says that parking is part of the thinking.

Anyone who has recently paid a visit to Edinburgh will probably have a few lingering memories, both positive and negative. On the one hand, it is a city redolent with fabulous architecture, fascinating history, lovely restaurants and cafes, inspiring galleries and that impressive castle: on the other hand, it is a nightmare to drive around, it can be impossible to find a parking space, and motorists are sometimes left feeling very unwelcome.

Calling time early

A further factor is that many businesses call time early in the city centre. As the second busiest tourist destination in the UK behind London, the fact that many shops, galleries and even the city’s parks and gardens close at the stroke of five o’clock – no matter whether it is the depths of winter or the highest point of the summer – makes promoting Edinburgh as a cosmopolitan capital a hard sell.

Getting buy-in

Andy’s ideas are simple but require buy-in. Alive after Five is the initiative to encourage businesses to stay open later. It began with a ‘soft sell’. ‘We started by suggesting that shops stayed open longer at Christmas time, but now we are encouraging longer opening hours in the summer months as well.’

To entice shoppers to stay in the city centre into the evening, Essential Edinburgh has asked the shops in the area to put money towards making on-street parking cheaper, and in some cases free, in the evenings. The privately-owned multi-storey car parks have also joined in on the act. They offer discounted parking with deals that can be redeemed in the local shops.

Joined up travel

There is a park and ride service that includes the new tram line, so people who want free parking can park on the edge of the city and then take the 20 minute ride into the heart of the city. And in a move to improve the general ambience of the city centre, within five-years an automated underground car park will exist in the Old Town.

All of which shows an attitude towards the motorist that is accepting. Andy’s view is that people often need their cars and, rather than treating motorists as pariahs, they should be catered for in the best way. ‘Someone buying a 40’ television does not want to lug it about on a tram, and we don’t want them shopping in an out-of-town retail park. We need to cater for everyone, including motorists.’

Identifying needs

Research by Andy’s team has identified that visitors and residents want a clean, attractive environment that everyone can access. This doesn’t mean getting rid of the car, and nor does it mean offering motorists free parking all the time. ‘No-one I have spoken to wants or expects free parking. They just want to be able to park at a reasonable price.’

For Edinburgh, this means relatively more expensive parking closer to the shops, to discourage office workers from taking these spaces at 8am and not vacating them until 6pm. Cheaper, or free parking is available to the people who need to be in the city for work, encouraging them to use the trams and buses.

‘Taking an innovative to parking is just part of what we are about. Our mantra always has to be “put the customer at the heart of your thinking”.’