NHS staff granted free parking for three months
COUNCIL TO OFFER ‘COMMON SENSE’ INITIATIVE TO EASE CITY PRESSURES
NHS staff will be given a helping hand with free parking for the next 12 weeks, Hounslow Council has announced.
New measures will also be making it easier for volunteers to run errands for vulnerable members of the community with a ‘stop and shop’ scheme in the borough. It comes as the national ‘stay at home’ advice is expected to see more cars remaining parked on the streets, making it harder for front-line workers to get close to work.
Cross-party body London Councils has advised city boroughs to start “common-sense” initiatives over parking enforcement to ease pressures across the capital.
Emergency service workers will be able to apply for free parking permits from their official work email accounts to benefit from the scheme, allowing them to park at all off-street and onstreet parking bays across the borough for the next 12 weeks. Companies that have carers working in the borough will also be able to request discounted rates for six months.
Announcing the move on Monday March 23, Hounslow Council transport chief councillor Hanif Khan said: “Coronavirus has had a significant impact on London’s transport network.
“Reduced public transport means that emergency service and care providers are more likely to drive to their place of work or to visit people in the community.
“At the same time, the vast majority of Londoners are staying at home, leading to increased parking in some residential areas.
“In response, Hounslow Council, along with other London boroughs, has today agreed a common-sense approach to issuing parking and driving fines in order to help critical workers such as NHS staff, carers and the emergency services travel in the capital.”
To help volunteers deliver essential items to vulnerable residents, the local authority is also allowing 30-minute free parking slots for pick-ups and drop-offs of supplies.
Helpers are being advised to put on their hazard lights and display a note in their car’s front window saying ‘Covid19 community response activity – 30-minute free parking’ and enter an arrival time if it is picking up medicines or essentials from shops.
No arrival time is needed to be recorded for drop-off, as it is expected to be a quicker activity.
The move will allow any usual fine to
be waived for these acts, but the council warned that any abuse of this system will not be tolerated.
Cllr Khan said: “The use of this scheme will be monitored closely and any suspected abuse will be investigated and further enforcement action taken if necessary.
“All other parking restrictions and controls currently remain in place and enforcement activity will continue.
“Such restrictions and controls are necessary to ensure the safety of those using the network and also to maintain access to properties for emergency services vehicles and other important services such as refuse collection and care provision.
“We appreciate that with very high levels of home working there may be significant pressure on parking demand and we ask that residents park considerately and at no time in a way that blocks access to properties.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council’s transport boss also recognised more needed to be done across Transport for London after pictures emerged of overcrowded tubes still continuing under the network’s reduced service.
“We do have a situation. We need to allow our emergency services workers who are supporting those services, the NHS, police, to do their job.
“We need to allow those people to get from A to B whichever way they need to go to allow them to do it.”
However, Cllr Khan said he was proud of the community efforts being seen across the country.
“We are called Great Britain for a reason. Our culture is so resilient and so caring, I’m proud to be English and I’m proud to be British,” he said.
Eligible staff and carer services can apply for free and discounted permits by emailing parking.permits@hounslow.gov.uk with ‘Emergency services parking dispensation’ in the subject line.
Staff must apply from a recognised emergency services email address, provide a picture of their staff ID or warrant, details of their place of work and vehicle registration.