Limiting car use through controls on private parking providers: a study of worldwide policy options

Controlling parking provision has long been recognised as one of the most effective mechanisms for reducing car use. But in many countries, local transport authorities have only been able to influence the price and availability of parking spaces under their direct influence, while a significant proportion of parking spaces owned by other agencies (e.g. 50% of off-street spaces in the UK) have remained uncontrolled. The aim of this paper is to review the problem and the range of policy instruments currently utilised throughout the world where private parking spaces are controlled by Local Government to examine how the use of such policy options might be utilised more extensively and effectively. To achieve this the paper draws on a number of vignettes based on an extensive review of the literature and structured interviews with key stakeholders responsible for implementing the policy instruments discussed. It concludes by suggesting that while the control of public parking spaces by pricing and regulatory means is now widespread there still remains scope for reducing traffic movements by ‘encouraging’ private providers to reduce their parking provision.