British Parking Association members will offer free parking for NHS staff

Coronavirus: Public and private sector operators will support health staff during pandemic

The British Parking Association (BPA) says that its members have agreed to provide free parking to NHS staff during the coronavirus pandemic. The association’s 700-plus members include local authorities, car park operators and online parking marketplaces as well as NHS trusts, universities, retailers and airports.

British Parking Association statement

In line with the government’s clear announcement BPA members will provide free parking to all NHS staff. They will also be cancelling any penalty charge notices (PCNs) that have been issued to NHS staff since the lockdown began.

During these unprecedented times BPA members are doing all they can to support the community:

• All members, local authorities and private operators along with the landowners they serve, are working hard to provide additional free parking to NHS staff in the wider community
• Members are repurposing car parks as distribution hubs for essential deliveries or for drive through COVID-19 testing centres
• Protecting spaces allocated to NHS staff, monitoring routes to and within hospitals, for food supplies to ensure that they are kept clear and safe
• Parking attendants are extending their duties to help marshal traffic and assist managing queues at supermarkets and other essential outlets and parking areas - helping communities by delivering aid to the vulnerable and other support

Like every other business and organisation in the country, our members are adapting and responding as the situation evolves, but we will keep striving to do more.

These are unprecedented times for which there is no pre-written guidance, so it is everyone’s duty to use common sense and do what is right and the parking sector is no different.