Private parking sector provides life support for the NHS

Operators and online providers offer key workers free parking

The commercial parking sector has stepped up to provide NHS and other critical workers with free parking. Operators such as APCOA, CitiPark, NCP, Q-Park and Saba announced free parking for NHS staff on sites where they controlled tariffs.

NCP’s chief executive Jonathan Scott said: “We’re aligned with the government’s definition of key workers so anyone within these groups can park at no cost at the participating car parks. At car parks where the free parking offer is available, there is no cost or requirement to pay for parking during the lockdown period.

At other car parks where the free parking offer isn’t applicable we won’t be accepting cash payments to pay for parking but using alternative payment options such as card or mobile.”

The pandemic is presenting operators with some logistical challenges. For example, to comply with social distancing requirements, lifts have been closed at multi-storey car parks.”During the lock down period for safety reasons our lifts won’t be operational,” said Scott. “There will be a 24/7 number for customers to call in an emergency.”

Q-Park has partnered with membership schemes Blue Light Card and We Are Discounts, to set up Employee Parking Platforms for healthcare workers, emergency services, Armed Forces, charities, teachers and carers. John Denton, head of sales and marketing at Q-Park said: “We are delighted to be able to offer discounted parking to a group of people who play such an important role in our society.”

Online parking portals such as JustPark, and YourParkingSpace acted quickly to launch campaigns that match NHS workers up with spare driveway and parking bays near hospitals for free.

In parallel, database specialist Parkopedia worked with JustPark and YourParkingSpace to create the British Parking Association’s NHS free parking portal. The BPA website is designed to enable NHS staff, health and social care workers and NHS volunteers to find free parking locations quickly and easily. The new site is a joint collaboration between the BPA and three online parking companies Parkopedia, YourParkingSpace and JustPark.

An online portal providing NHS staff and care workers with details of where they can find free parking has also been launched by the International Parking Community (IPC) trade association. The Free Car Park Finder information portal will be updated continuously to include every possible provider of free parking, not just the local authorities that have received a government mandate to provide such arrangements.

The IPC hopes that the portal will also help identify parking hotspots where contingency arrangements may be required due to parking capacity at NHS trusts, and will provide links to all relevant local car park providers. Will Hurley, the IPC’s chief executive, said: “It is wonderful that so many organisations and individuals have rallied to offer free parking for health workers.”

Ministers have also urged businesses located near hospitals to work with their local NHS trusts to consider allowing NHS staff use their car parks.