Following an extensive tendering process, Insight Certification Ltd, the National Security Inspectorate’s parent company, has won an exclusive three-year contract to provide auditing services to the British Parking Association (BPA), Europe’s largest professional association representing organisations in the parking and traffic management industry.
Insight has been appointed to manage the compliance audit process of the BPA’s Approved Operator Scheme (AOS). Following a transition period commencing in June this year, a full roll-out is scheduled to commence in September. Insight will carry out regular audits of member and prospective members’ premises and operations, to ensure compliance with BPA’s Code of Practice, a key component of the AOS. Any member operator of the BPA involved in enforcement services on private land, or unregulated public car parks, is required to join the scheme and be independently audited. Unlike the ‘on street’ parking industry which is heavily legislated, the ‘off street’ private parking industry has no direct legislation and is largely unregulated. To introduce an element of self regulation to the ‘off street’ sector, the BPA developed a Code of Practice in 2006 for wheel-clampers. This was followed in 2007 by a sister document for ticketing operators and a combined Code was published in October 2009.
From 23 November 2009, all operators involved in the private parking sector that require vehicle keeper details from the DVLA, must be a member of an accredited trade association and the BPA is currently the only accredited trade association in the parking sector. Andrew White, Insight’s Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the British Parking Association as their sole Accredited Assessor. With nearly 40 years auditing and certification experience through our National Security Inspectorate (NSI) security and fire division, we are well placed to carry out the Association’s compliance and audit process. Sharing similar values and a desire to raise standards, Insight is proud to be associated with the BPA and this scheme”.
Patrick Troy, BPA Chief Executive said “We are pleased to be working with a company that brings such valuable experience and expertise with them to this crucial development for the Scheme. By providing this service to our members we are ensuring more consistent standards across the sector that can, in turn, only benefit the public. We look forward to a long and productive relationship between the BPA and Insight”.