CP plus - Tackling Hospital Parking when charging is not an option (Scotland)

Half_way

Just spotted this little gem on the CP plus website via a google search looking at hospital car park charges ( and finding cheaper alternatives)

Tackling hospital car parking, when charging is not an option

Go on.....

Prior to the change in parking charges the NHS Board had appointed CP Plus to manage and operate the Pay and Display system that was in place at 11 hospitals.
The abolition of charges gave the NHS Board and CP Plus a problem – the charging and enforcement system had ensured that demand for parking could be managed and controlled. How could they continue to effectively manage the demands of various users and ensure that spaces were available for patients and visitors? They had to work together to identify a management solution that could continue the efficient operation of the parking facilities, without a parking charge system in place.

So parking charges can no longer be issued, in Scotland what to do?


it goes on....

No charging - the car parks had to be ‘free for all’ but the Board and CP Plus certainly did not want the operation to turn into a ‘free for all’. The only method that could be used was to restrict the maximum stay time in the car parks so that spaces were available for patients and visitors and were not taken by staff or, at some sites, non-hospital users such as commuters and shoppers. Given the size of the car parks, a traditional handheld method of monitoring dwell time would have been highly problematic, inefficient and labour intensive; a new system needed to be created.

Look a new system! whats that then as they can not charge?...

NHS staff that qualified for parking were designated specific car parks and issued with permits for parking, with no time restrictions placed upon them. Additionally, every site had an unrestricted, long term parking area for staff that did not qualify for a permit, on a ‘first come, first served basis. Patients and visitors were generally restricted to a four hour stay. CP Plus now faced the challenge of how to monitor the four hour stay and enforce it

so you can stay for four hours, and as they cant issue parking charges whats the solution to enforcement?

CP Plus decided that technology could deliver the answer to the problem. They partnered with a technology company to develop their idea of a high-tech buggy solution - a golf buggy fitted with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

A golf buggy, with ANPR cameras, hang on a sec sas they cant issue charges what can they do??

The ANPR system works by registering cars entering and leaving the car park. If a car does not leave after four hours, an alert is sent to the buggy. Whilst touring the car parks, the buggy then finds the car, takes the necessary images and prints a parking charge notice.
CP Plus and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been working together since 2006, and have been pioneering and developing this technology since parking charges were abolished. The system has already started to demonstrate that it is effective and efficient.

So as they can no longer issue parking charges, and have stated that charging is not an option, they now have a golf buggy that issues parking charges instead.
Genius or what?


http://www.cp-plus.co.uk/about-us/case-studies/tackling-hospital-car-parking-when-charging-is-not-an-option/

trisontana

You are not confusing the normal charge to park and the speculative invoices (parking charge notice) issued by PPCs are you?

You get the same situation in most supermarkets, you pay nothing to park (parking charge) , but you may receive a parking charge notice if you break any of the "rules".

Guys_Dad

Our local Sainsbury has a technology based system based on lights.

Each parking space has a light in the centre. You drive over it. It times your stay and a light comes on to warn the PPC "guardian" so he can invoice you.

If you move your car every couple of hours, no light.

Isn't technology great?

surfboy1

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Our local Sainsbury has a technology based system based on lights.

Each parking space has a light in the centre. You drive over it. It times your stay and a light comes on to warn the PPC "guardian" so he can invoice you.

If you move your car every couple of hours, no light.

Isn't technology great?

Or just drive out of the space than back in again.
Sainsburys in my town has the same.;)

tom9980

sainsbury's have same system in our local i bought some tape the other day

Kite2010

Would placing an object such as a house-brick be enough to fool the sensors?

Didn't the BPA say they want to try and get the Welsh & Scottish NHS to bring back parking charges?

poppyplanet

I am a NHS nurse in Glasgow and I received a fine for parking in the "permit only" spaces because all the free spaces were full. I got a CP Plus fine through the door and I have no intention of paying to park at the place I work. My colleagues told me not to pay it as they never take any action. I am guessing by all the forums that this is correct?

AltheHibby

poppyplanet,

Totally ignoring them is the correct thing to do in Scotland. They don't have the POPLA option as they do in England, so they can't do anything if you don't make contact.

Read the stickies to see the letters you will be sent before they give up and crawl back under their rock.

ps It's an invoice, not a fine.

fil_cad

Yea just ignore the camel jockys, its fun and must really get there goat up!you will get three begging letters off cp plus, then three off there inhouse ghoony debt collectors then thats it game over unless there cash flow is going low then they may send you a begging letter from the girl at the next desk zenith collections HAA haa comes in handy for emergency toilet paper, one never knows when you run out of the stuff

Half_way

then they may send you a begging letter from the girl at the next desk zenith collections

dont forget that this girl has gender identity issues, and sometimes goes by the name of James.

Coupon-mad

Half_way wrote: »

dont forget that this girl has gender identity issues, and sometimes goes by the name of James.

Yep, 'Debt Recovery Plus' and 'Zenith' have a very, very close relationship!:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3829727


:rotfl: