Transport Policy Sub-Committee
11th July 2007
Agenda item 10
TPSC/07/09
Enforcement of Car Parking Rules and Regulations
Committee will recollect that for the past two years there has been a requirement that people undertaking car clamping and release where a fee is charged, are registered. The initial registration process was extremely difficult, in that it was to a national standard the administration of which was under-resourced and overseen by the industry which is controlled by a handful of large operators. In consequence it has taken the best part of two years to ensure that sufficient patrol staff are licensed to support a rigorous wheel clamping regime. At the same time the security service on campus has been restructured to accommodate the working time directive and to develop a more consistent level of performance across the shifts.
One of the major criticisms on campus following the introduction of the pay and display system has been the apparent failure to enforce the regulations. I believe that the measures to address this are now in place and enforcement of the pay and display requirements for car parking will be given a high priority in the work for the patrol staff starting from 1 October. It should be noted, that in order to establish appropriate patterns of behaviour, the requirement for vehicles to be registered in order to attract the lower pay and display rate will be enforced from the start of the Autumn term (4 October 2007). That is, there will not be a period of grace.
There will be ancillary advantages of a more rigorous claming regime. Increased patrol staff in the car parks will improve security of vehicles parked, which is perceived as an issue, and more control over inappropriately parked vehicles will improve safety.
There are areas of transport policy that are currently also not being enforced and that it is proposed to begin addressing during the summer. Particularly these are the increasing tendency for cyclists to cycle across the central squares and the issue of cyclists taking cycles into the University’s buildings. With regard to the former this will be helped by reinstating the notices around the central campus which indicate where cyclists should dismount. This will be done as soon as the University has appointed a replacement Sign Writer which we expect to be very soon, and will again improve safety.
Transport Policy Sub-Committee is requested to note and endorse the measures being taken to enforce the University’s car parking rules and regulations.
Andrew Nightingale
Director of Estate Management