You’ve got a private parking lot for your business, and it’s supposed to be for employees, visitors or customers. There’s a big sign that says “private parking”, yet it doesn’t stop random people from parking their cars and going about their business. It’s annoying for two big reasons:
- Unwanted visitors take up parking spaces for your employees, so they have to park further away and might be late for work.
- If your business is a store of some kind, then unwanted visitors take up customer parking spaces and can prevent people from visiting your store, which loses you money.
This has to stop, so here’s how you prevent unwanted visitors from filling up your parking lot.
Step 1: Install An ANPR System
You need to keep track of who parks in your parking lot so you can determine if they’re an unwanted visitor or not. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking systems are the gold standard for this. You set up some cameras with special technology that scans and logs every licence plate that enters or exits your parking lot.
Having this is essential when you want to control who comes and goes – it also allows you to set up the next two parts of this plan.
Step 2: Implement Parking Validation
Your ANPR system now logs all the number plates for you, but does that necessarily stop unwanted visitors from parking? No, unless they need to validate their number plate in your system. You can choose how validation works depending on what type of business you run, but some ideas include:
- An iPad inside your building where people type in their number
- Scanning their receipt before leaving your premises (great for shops)
The whole point is that people have to do something when parking their car, which means you’ll have a list of cars that haven’t validated their parking. It sets you up for step three.
Step 3: Fine People For Parking There
Look, no business wants to do this, but if unwanted visitors keep parking in your spaces, then you have to fine them. Slap signs everywhere so people know there’s a parking fine if they don’t validate their licence plate. You should absolutely use some sort of purchase-based validation if you sell anything on your premises, as this forces everyone who parks in your parking lot to spend money.
If we’re talking about an office parking lot, then on-site validation at an iPad within your office is the best bet. Either way, if you have a list of cars that didn’t validate their stay, you can now fine them. You’ll have to set this up legally through the right companies and systems, but it will be possible to fine people for parking on private property without the right validation.
Realistically, you probably won’t end up sending fines to that many people because the presence of your ANPR system and parking validation will deter unwanted visitors from parking there anymore. Your car park stays open to those who need it, and your business no longer suffers.
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