Car park management on large properties with multiple sites can be challenging – especially if you have different car parks for different uses – at a hospital, for example.
In places like this, there may be several different types of restrictions and different kinds of usage depending on the time and the day.
Having a car park management team on the ground that knows these rules inside out is a huge asset, as they know what to enforce and perhaps more importantly – when.
Flexible car parking management
Rules aren’t always right, and they should never be 100% rigid – especially in ever-changing environments like hospitals.
For parking wardens on your property, rules should act as strong guidelines, but they shouldn’t be set in stone.
This was evident recently where one car park management firm enforced the rules of not parking on double yellow lines – against an NHS ambulance. The ambulance staff had to go into a nearby shop, and there was nowhere – other than a disabled spot – that the ambulance van could fit.
So they stopped on the yellow lines, and were issued a parking ticket.
Clearly, this shouldn’t have happened – and it emphasises the need for a strong, flexible car park management team on the ground. One that can use its judgement correctly.
Good car park management for every situation
At Creative Car Park, we’re extremely privileged to have contracts with a wide variety of NHS trusts to help them manage their hospital car parks.
One of the reasons we’re trusted to do this is because of our wardens on the ground and the way our management team work extremely closely with them.
We recognise the importance of remaining flexible and adaptable, and the compassion of our wardens does not go unnoticed.
For example, our wardens are trained to offer sympathy and support, given the environment they work in, and will often waive parking charge notices on the spot if there are extenuating circumstances, like a loved one passing away or the birth of a new child.
During the Manchester Bombing last year, flexible car park management was vital. The Central Manchester and Royal Oldham hospitals were put under a huge strain, and our wardens had to adapt quickly – opening up new car parks, permitting usage of previously restricted areas and making sure ambulance crews, media, parents and relatives all had the access they required.
That’s why car park management rules are not always meant to be followed. Talk to us today if you’d like to ensure your car park management is both flexibility and effective.