Smart steering with parking policy

Influence parking behaviour and encourage sustainable mobility

For many organisations, parking has become a recurring daily dilemma. In urban areas and on business parks with limited space, employees often face full car parks. This not only causes peak congestion when entering and exiting, but also results in overcrowded parking facilities on fixed office days, while hybrid working can lead to low occupancy on other days. At the same time, parking costs are rising and pressure is increasing to contribute to sustainable mobility policies and CO₂ reduction.

For HR, Facility Management and mobility managers, parking policy therefore touches on multiple themes at once: employee satisfaction, cost control, sustainability and employer branding. The key question is no longer whether a parking policy is needed, but how to design one that feels fair, works in practice and is future-proof.

An effective parking policy starts with a clear vision. Without a shared starting point, policies often turn into disconnected measures that are poorly understood internally and have limited impact.

• What does your organisation want to achieve?
• Is the goal to encourage sustainable travel behaviour?
• Or is it primarily about controlling costs and managing scarce space?

These choices require alignment between internal stakeholders such as HR, Facility Management and Fleet Management. Your vision determines not only what the policy looks like, but especially how you communicate it to employees. Policies that are logical and consistent are demonstrably better accepted.

Employees often see parking as a given right. This makes change sensitive. That is precisely why transparency is crucial.

A strong parking policy clearly defines:

• who qualifies for a parking space and why;
• which criteria are applied, such as travel time, commuting distance, carpooling or vehicle type;
• when paid parking applies;
• and how exceptions are handled through a hardship clause.

Clear communication and proactive support are essential. Explain who receives a parking space and why, while also offering suitable alternatives such as public transport, cycling or more flexible working hours. This creates understanding and helps minimise resistance and frustration, even if it cannot be eliminated entirely.

Reducing parking pressure often requires a careful balance. Restrictive measures deliver quick, measurable results but can lead to resistance. Encouraging alternative travel behaviour — such as cycling, public transport or carpooling — feels more positive, but outcomes are less predictable.

In practice, combining both approaches proves most effective. Restrictions create urgency; incentives provide an attractive alternative. Consider:

• limiting parking capacity or introducing paid parking;
• offering public transport and shared mobility solutions;
• stimulating cycling and carpooling;
• introducing flexible working hours or work locations to spread peak demand.

This way, employees retain freedom of choice while travel behaviour gradually changes.

Sustainable parking policy is not only about fewer cars, but also about cleaner cars. In organisations or roles where the car remains essential, parking policy can support the transition to electric vehicles.

By reserving a larger share of available parking spaces for electric vehicles — potentially combined with charging facilities — electric driving becomes more attractive and more logical. Different conditions can apply to fossil fuel vehicles. In this way, parking becomes a tangible instrument to accelerate the shift to electric mobility.

In many organisations, a large proportion of employees live within cycling distance of work, yet still choose the car — not out of unwillingness, but out of habit and convenience. Research shows that 25% of car commuters are willing to switch to another mode of transport when the right arrangements are offered (source: [daszogefietst.nl])((https://www.daszogefietst.nl/)).

Examples include a company bike or e-bike scheme, appropriate reimbursement and high-quality on-site facilities.

Parking policy strengthens this effect. When parking is no longer taken for granted, cycling becomes a logical alternative, provided the right conditions are in place. Safe and visible bike parking, sufficient capacity, charging points for e-bikes, and optionally changing rooms and showers make a real difference. The workplace environment influences behaviour: what you facilitate and visibly value is more likely to be chosen.

Also read: Encouraging employee bicycle use, here's how to do it

Encouraging alternative transport options only works if they are accessible and attractive. With a mobility card and app, employees can easily use public transport, shared cars, shared bikes, e-scooters and other sustainable transport options, without expense claims or advance payments.This makes leaving the car at home easier and directly reduces parking pressure.

Parking policy only works when it is based on insight. How many parking spaces are available? When do peaks occur? Who parks when and why?

A successful approach starts with understanding the current situation, the desired situation and the gap between the two.

With our Parking Scan, we analyse parking usage throughout the week, identify peak moments and compare these with the existing policy. Based on this analysis, we provide targeted recommendations to reduce and better distribute parking pressure.

In addition to parking data, insight into travel behaviour is equally important. With our Mobility Scan, we analyse each employee’s commute based on distance, travel time and available transport options. This clarifies who truly requires a car and who could use cycling, public transport or a combination of options.

By linking these insights to the Parking Scan, measures can be implemented in a targeted way: employees with suitable alternatives are encouraged to travel differently, while parking spaces remain available for those who genuinely need them.

Implementation is supported by our mobility platform, enabling organisations to:

• allow parking reservations and automated settlements;
• assign parking rights based on clear criteria;
• actively offer and stimulate alternatives to car use.

Case example: For a hospital, we integrated our platform with the existing parking system. Employees with parking authorisation access the site via license plate recognition. When employees pay a personal contribution during certain hours, this is automatically settled through our platform. For employees, this means clarity and convenience; for HR and Facility Management, it ensures control, transparency and fair policy execution, without additional administrative burden.

Parking policy is never static. Organisations grow, working patterns evolve and the number of electric vehicles increases. Regular evaluation is therefore essential.

By measuring, experimenting and adjusting based on data, policies remain effective and clearly explainable. This not only improves parking space utilisation, but also strengthens employee trust in the decisions made.

A well-designed parking policy goes beyond parking spaces. It influences travel behaviour, employee satisfaction, costs and sustainability goals.

Organisations that invest in a clear vision, transparent rules, a smart combination of restriction and incentive, and continuous optimisation turn parking into a strategic instrument.

Discover how your organisation can reduce parking pressure and stimulate sustainable travel behaviour, request a demo of our platform.