We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Car website. However, if you would like to, you can change your cookies at any time
The start point for the best source of fleet information |
The Government has promised to talk to logistics firms, businesses and local authorities in order to minimise the impact of parking restrictions on local companies.
Responding to the Transport Committee's seventh report on local authority parking enforcement, the Government said managing service and delivery vehicles in often congested town centres is a long-standing issue for local authorities, and finding an answer can be a challenge where there is a high demand for kerb space.
The Transport Committee's report said: "It is unacceptable that local authorities set enforcement regimes that effectively force some companies to incur Penalty Charge Notices costing hundreds of thousands of pounds a year for carrying out their business.
"Local authorities must ensure the need to restrict parking and manage congestion does not stifle the ability of businesses to trade. However, businesses cannot be completely exempt from restrictions."
In response, the Government said: "The solutions will vary from area to area, and it is important that service delivery organisations, retailers and local authorities work together to seek the best solutions.
"The Department for Transport and Transport for London are developing guidance to encourage deliveries outside normal delivery hours.
"These may help to reduce the number of notices issued. We agree a round table discussion might be useful and the DfT will talk to local authorities and the freight industry.
"Finding the right balance between the needs of different road users and the demand for kerb space is essentially a local decision, and it is local stakeholders who best know the challenges they face.
"We would look, therefore, for all key local stakeholders to be constructively working together to look at potential solutions."
In the report, the Government has remained cautious about encouraging Workplace Parking Levy schemes until an assessment of Nottingham's WPL is completed in spring 2017. This comes despite the Transport Committee's recommendation that
the Government promotes WPLs to other local authorities. However, the Transport Committee's own message is contradictory, and admits "it is difficult for us to judge the WPL scheme in Nottingham because a formal evaluation has not yet been carried out".
BusinessCar magazine ©2019
Business Car Magazine © 2020 | Business Car is part of NS Media Group.
