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Many believe that enforcing parking regulations is nothing more than red tape. Yet, the truth is far more impactful: a well-designed revenue collection program for parking enforcement isn’t just about rules—it's a key to public safety and improved quality of life. But here's the catch: for these programs to truly make a difference, they must be crafted with the community's needs and concerns at their core.
Let's see how you can implement citizen-centric enforcement policies and transform parking from a bureaucratic headache into a tool for positive change.
A Matter of Public Safety and Quality of Life
Parking regulations improve traffic flow, keep emergency routes unobstructed, and allow first responders to reach those in need without delay. They also help keep pedestrian areas safe by providing clear walkways and reducing the risk of accidents and injuries caused by vehicles on sidewalks.
The downside? You only meet these goals if you’re consistent about enforcing parking regulations.
When drivers know that parking rules are strictly enforced, they are more likely to comply, directly impacting the overall efficiency and safety of urban transportation systems. A well-structured revenue recovery program plays an integral role in this enforcement process. When you efficiently collect fines for parking violations, you hold drivers and vehicle owners accountable. This discourages future violations and generates revenue that can be reinvested into community services and infrastructure improvements.
Furthermore, a robust revenue recovery program can enhance public trust in local government. When citizens see that rules are applied fairly and consistently, they’re more likely to perceive the system as just and equitable.
How to Build a Collaborative and Respectful Collection Process
The golden rule for an efficient revenue recovery program is to treat vehicle owners with dignity and respect throughout the process. A citizen-centric program is an extension of your city’s customer service efforts. This means the program's goals should include both problem resolution and revenue generation. By focusing equally on resolving the issues that led to the parking violation and collecting the owed fines, the program can address the root causes of non-compliance while also securing necessary revenues for the city.
Train your staff about the specifics of the violations they are addressing so they can provide accurate information and guidance. Beyond this technical training, place a strong emphasis on respectful and empathetic communication. Encourage them to listen to citizens' concerns, understand their circumstances, and respond compassionately. This human-centric approach can transform what is a contentious interaction into a constructive dialogue.
“When a citizen receives a fine, the initial communication should inform them of the violation and the amount due and provide clear instructions on how to dispute the fine if they believe it was issued in error. This transparency helps build trust, showing citizens that the city is fair and open to hearing their side of the story,” says Gregory Salerno, Director of Business Development at gtechna.
With this context in mind, selecting the appropriate technical solutions becomes more straightforward. Let’s take a close look.
A Holistic Approach to Parking Management and Revenue Collection
Typically, the initial processing phase of a parking ticket spans between 90 and 120 days.
During this period, you’ll use various strategies to encourage vehicle owners to settle their fines:
- Reminders
- Delinquency notices
- Sanctions like vehicle impoundment or booting
Despite these measures, cities need help collecting fines from scofflaws. Some vehicle owners can be challenging to track and are known to use various tactics to evade payment. Over time, the accumulation of unpaid fines can become substantial, potentially amounting to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars annually.
The problem is bigger than the lost revenue because this backlog also undermines the effectiveness of parking regulations and enforcement efforts. The solutions? Specialized revenue recovery.
Specialized revenue recovery programs use data analytics and skip-tracing methods to locate individuals who have moved or changed addresses, increasing the likelihood of successful communication and collection.
Depending on the program you opt for, it can include outbound calling campaigns, where trained professionals reach out to vehicle owners directly, allowing for real-time dialogue and negotiation. Moreover, offering multiple payment and dispute resolution channels, such as online portals, phone support, and in-person assistance, can make the process more accessible and user-friendly.
Such a well-integrated revenue recovery program can provide valuable insights and data to city officials. By analyzing patterns in parking violations and collections, cities can identify areas for improvement in their parking regulations and enforcement practices.
Leverage Technology for Efficiency and Transparency
Having one system for issuing tickets and another for managing collections is an outdated practice that leads to disjointed processes and potential data discrepancies. By bringing everything into one system, you improve overall ticket lifecycle management. A unified approach simplifies tracking and reporting, reduces the risk of errors, and enhances the ability to analyze and optimize the entire process.
Here’s how it works: a parking ticket is issued, and the details are immediately entered into the system, which tracks the ticket through each stage—from initial notification and follow-up notices to sanctions and eventual collection efforts. At each step, relevant data is updated in real-time, providing a comprehensive view of the ticket's status. This continuous flow of information ensures that no ticket falls through the cracks and that each case is handled promptly and efficiently.
And it gets better: automation can handle the initial stages of the collection process, such as generating and sending notices, updating account statuses, and flagging accounts for further action based on predefined criteria. This reduces the administrative burden on city staff, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks that require human judgment and interaction.
Furthermore, technology enhances communication with vehicle owners. Automated systems can send reminders via multiple channels—such as email, instant messages, and automated voice calls—ensuring that each citizen knows their obligations and the consequences of non-compliance. Personalized communication strategies, powered by data analytics, can tailor messages to individual circumstances, increasing the likelihood of successful resolution.
Integrating advanced technology also improves the ability to handle disputes and appeals efficiently. An online portal, for instance, can allow citizens to view their violations, submit disputes, and track the status of their cases in real time.
The Role of Specialized Revenue Recovery Firms
Teams that specialize in debt collection bring a wealth of experience and employ advanced techniques that are often beyond the scope of municipal capabilities.
Assigning accounts to collection agencies earlier in the lifecycle has proven particularly beneficial. Ideally, this assignment should occur within 60 days of the last notice being sent because the debt's collectability diminishes over time.
“Accounts handed over to collection agencies within 60-90 days of the initial notice have a 20% higher collection rate than those assigned later. When we help parking authorities address outstanding fines promptly, we soon notice a decrease in unpaid fines. In less than a year, municipalities see a significant increase in revenue from parking,” adds Gregory Salerno, Director of Business Development at gtechna.
What’s Next? Build for the Future Today with gtechna
gtechna’s revenue recovery program encompasses various activities to maximize collections. These include:
- Progressive notice series: Send a series of notices to violators to remind them of their obligations.
- Outbound calling: Contact vehicle owners to discuss their violations and payment options.
- Skip tracing: Use multiple databases to locate updated addresses for notices that are returned undeliverable.
- Monthly reporting: Provide city management with detailed reports on collection activities and outcomes.
We partner with specialized firms to build a revenue recovery program around the needs and concerns of your citizens. This way, you improve compliance and revenue collection while enhancing overall quality of life.
Our solutions for customized revenue recovery programs leverage the latest parking enforcement technology and provide significant efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness benefits. With our help, you can streamline processes, eliminate management complexities, and achieve better ticket lifecycle management.
Interested to know more about gtechna’s revenue recovery program? Contact us today, and one of our Enforcement Solutions Advisors will provide all the information you need.
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