ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION Over the course of the past few years, the dramatic increase in the number of vehicles on our roads has meant that parking all over the country is becoming more and more of a premium. People want to be able to leave their cars as close to their final destination as they can, but also want to be able to have a clear, unobstructed route. Pedestrians also want to be able to move unimpeded to their destination. In order to satisfy these growing needs, order had to be introduced onto the streets and into the car parks. At first this was carried out by traffic wardens, employed by the Local Police Authority, but many environments are now patrolled by private organisations. This information sheet will explain the role of the British Parking Association within the Parking Industry, and is the first of a series of sheets that will guide the consumer through the increasingly difficult areas of on street and off street parking. Who are the British Parking Association? The British Parking Association (BPA) are the largest Professional Association in Europe representing organisations in the Parking and Traffic Management Industry. These organisations include: Manufacturers, Car Park Operators, Local Authorities, Shopping Centres and many more. Currently we have around 650 members, equally split between the public and private sectors. What do we do? As the recognised authority within the Parking Industry, the BPA represents, promotes and influences the best interests of the parking and traffic management industries throughout the UK and Europe. As well as this work, the BPA provides its members with a range of benefits, all aimed at helping the parking professional in their day to day work. What don’t we do? The BPA is a membership association and not a regulatory body. This means that whilst we will address any concerns raised about our members’ working practices, we do not have the resource to deal with complaints about individual enforcement notices. Information on what you can do if you have a complaint about an enforcement notice can be found in the Information Sheet about parking tickets

How do we achieve our aims? We aim to achieve our objectives by: . How do we achieve our aims? We aim to achieve our objectives by: Promoting and representing our members’ views of the parking, traffic control and enforcement sector to Government and other interested parties and to influence their policies, as the recognised authority for the sector. 2. Promoting the exchange of views and to encourage and support the development of Best Practice within our sector. Ensuring our membership fully reflects the parking sector. Ensuring good management of the BPA as a non-profit making organisation, to develop a clear understanding of the needs and expectations of our members and to use the resources available effectively and efficiently to meet these needs. The British Parking Association. Stuart House, 41-43 Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3BN Tel: +44 (0) 1444 447300 Fax: +44 (0) 1444 454105 info@britishparking.co.uk www.britishparking.co.uk