Once upon a time, receiving a parking ticket for losing track of time, misreading signage, or fumbling for change at a meter felt inevitable. One mistake often meant that unintentional offenders were doomed to receive a costly citation. But today, the industry is making the shift across cities, campuses, and private operations from punishment to prevention. This shift is also a topic of focus at the 2025 IPMI Conference & Expo. Rather than enforcing, many operators now choose to act as a guide to the public – educating them on best practices before noncompliance happens. Not only does this shift resonate better with the public, but it’s also better for business.
Why Enforcement No Longer Works
An enforcement-based approach relies on punishing parkers after a mistake has already been made. In reality, most violations are unintentional – so why are we punishing parkers as intentional offenders? We’ve all been there before – an app glitched, the signage was unclear, or maybe the rules were outdated and didn’t reflect how parkers behave. Punishment-first models often have more negative consequences than meets the eye – it erodes trust and sparks frustration between the public and enforcement officers, leading to increased conflict. Rather than reactively punish noncompliance, what if we could proactively prevent it before it happens?
The Era of Compliance and Cooperation
Modern parking management is about meeting people where they are. With clearer signage, more convenient technology, automated permitting, and increased communication to the public, operators are helping customers be in compliance before there is even a need for punitive measures. This results in fewer violations and increased customer satisfaction, ultimately leading to increased usage of your facilities. This not only benefits your customers, but ultimately boosts business and public perception of your operations.
Seeing this Shift in Action
At Zephire, we’ve seen firsthand how operators thrive when they make this shift. One West Coast operator with over 120 locations reduced manual tasks by 40% within the first 90 days of implementing Zephire by shifting from printed hang tags to digital permitting. This automation of credentialing and billing through the platform leads to less disputes, higher permit adoption, and more timely payments – ultimately leading to increased compliance from the start and improved user satisfaction.
Want the full story? Grab our guide on making the shift from enforcement to compliance-based operations at the 2025 International Parking & Mobility Institute Conference & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky next week in booth #309. Also join us for a demo of our monthly parking solution, Zephire. See you at the show!
