Increased enforcement around many of the borough’s schools has led to a significant increase in Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) challenges for the London Borough of Hackney’s correspondence team. However, automated solutions provided by Barbour Logic have enabled the authority’s 16-strong back office team to absorb the increased workload and maintain continuous improvement in service standards and efficiencies.
Significant reduction in car ownership and usage among residents demonstrates the effectiveness of the inner London authority’s commitment to sustainable transport across one of the capital’s most densely populated areas. Air quality and road safety issues around many of the borough’s 78 schools, however, have been major cause of concern.
This has prompted the council to introduce new pedestrian zones and extend its enforcement activities during drop-off and pick-up times around many of the schools. And effective enforcement of the new restrictions is helping to ensure the approach delivers the required outcomes expected by residents, parents and teaching staff.
The initiative has led to a 30% rise in the number of PCNs issued by the authority, although the volume continues to decline as the new measures deliver the required behavioural change. This has seen an increase in the number of PCN challenges received by the authority and the number of enforcement-related calls to the Council’s Contact Centre. Today, more than 3,500 items of correspondence are received every month by the Representations and Appeals Team managed by Samir Hasanagic, with Barbour Logic’s Response Master helping to ensure responses to drivers are clear, consistent and punctual.
“We introduced Response Master four years ago and have never looked back,” says Hasanagic. “The system was very easy to install and proved its worth in a matter of weeks, with a noticeable improvement in first contact resolution. But, significantly, the service automation has enabled us to absorb increased work volumes without any disruption or any dip in performance or service quality.
“Moreover, it has helped to ensure that the Council’s appeals policies are applied consistently at all times. This was always difficult to achieve when new recruits joined the team after they had undertaken similar work for other authorities. Now, consistency and clarity in all outgoing correspondence is assured.”