AM-GO will accredit airport meet & greet operations, says BPA

British Parking Association has worked with operators and airports to develop accreditation

The British Parking Association has launched the Approved Meet and Greet Parking Operator Scheme, known as AM-GO.

The BPA has worked with its members, major airports and key stakeholders to deliver a scheme which the association hopes will become the recognised and trusted standard for airports and off-airport meet & greet parking operators. The association said it has consulted closely and gained valuable insight from members of the Independent Airport Parking Association (IAPA) and own meet & greet operators who are BPA members.

The new BPA Approved Meet and Greet Parking Operator Scheme (AM-GO) is designed to complement the Safer Parking Scheme, which is managed by the BPA on behalf of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) and is aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in car parks.

The AM-GO scheme will include regular audits of consolidators, booking agents, meet & greet operators, and airports against the AM-GO code of practice.

The BPA’s team of area managers and Designing Out Crime officers will conduct in-person site assessments of all meet & greet services managed by airports and operators, including every single facility where vehicles are parked and stored for the duration of a customer’s booking.

The AM-GO scheme will ensure that:

• Airports have designated, clearly marked and signposted meet & greet drop-off and pick-up zones.
• Meet & greet staff, including drivers, will be qualified, professional and fully insured, and will carry ID cards and wear uniforms at all times.
• Vehicles will be safely stored in a Park Mark accredited facility and cars won’t be driven any further than stated on the booking confirmation.
• Both airports and AM-GO members will be regularly assessed and monitored by BPA qualified auditors to uphold standards.
• Motorists will be signposted to a single, reliable data source for AM-GO members and can be confident of leaving their vehicle with an Approved Meet and Greet Operator.

The BPA will also mediate on any escalated motorist complaints. Sanction points will be levied and, where appropriate, failing operators will be removed from the scheme.

The BPA has developed new Trading Standards policy to prevent logo misuse. This policy has been devised with the support of Police Crime Preventions Initiatives.

Sara Fisher, BPA head of operations and business developmen, said: “We are so excited to be launching this new scheme which will be the only police supported nationwide accreditation of its type. We are aiming for a national standard to deliver optimum success and a consistent message to the holiday and business traveller alike, so we are encouraging all UK airports and their meet & greet parking operators to join the scheme.

“It is hoped that the new standard in airport meet & greet parking can help make rogue and unscrupulous operators a thing of the past. In the future we want to confidently say to consumers: ‘Don't book your airport meet & greet parking with anyone else’.”

The BPA will be contacting all UK airports over the coming months and the new scheme will be operational before the summer holiday season in 2024.
Fisher said: “We have exciting plans for a major launch and have been working closely with airports to strategies this. Will be calling on the power of local police communications channels and our excellent relationships with the media too. Watch this space!”

When asked about the recent launch of a separate meet & greet accreditation scheme by the International Parking Community, the BPA responded: ”As a not-for profit association, our aim is for one, police supported nationally recognised standard which is trusted by both the motoring public and the sector for its rigour and integrity but most importantly, achieves positive results for everyone involved.”

For information on AM-GO email: meetandgreet@britishparking.co.uk