Motorway Service areas

mikey72

trisontana wrote: »

I did query that point with the guy who runs the above motorway services website. He said that that you can pay, but you have to do it via a mobile phone and you have to pay an extra couple of pounds when you use a credit card. I must say I have never seen this "facility" on any service area I've been to lately.

How do you pay if you don't have a mobile?

peter_the_piper

Or a credit card, or both/?

Alx*27

The parking charges are what they have chosen them to be but yes, comparable to 24hrs parking at most places. If you park over 2hrs, you are charged for a period up to 24hrs. For HGVs this is around £18 which is similar to truckstops.

You'll find all the information clearly posted on the signs you appear not to have seen despite them being all over the place at a MSA and also having a flipping great one at least 4x2ft on the way from the carpark to the entrance of the building.

Penalty charge written all over that system.

computershack

mikey72 wrote: »

How do you pay if you don't have a mobile?

Go to the restaurant and pay at the till. Some services will also allow you to pay at the petrol station counter and there may be someone wandering around the HGV park, particularly from 3pm onwards.

computershack

Alx*27 wrote: »

Penalty charge written all over that system.

Would you like to actually enlighten us as to what you're on about?

peter_the_piper

Private companies are not allowed to issue any charge which could be seen as a penalty. Fair recompense for loss etc is allowed but only the councils and judiciary can levy penalties.

edgex

computershack wrote: »

Correct although it is a flat fee, not an hourly charge, that allows you to stay up to 24hrs.
Yes.
The parking charges are what they have chosen them to be but yes, comparable to 24hrs parking at most places. If you park over 2hrs, you are charged for a period up to 24hrs. For HGVs this is around £18 which is similar to truckstops.

You'll find all the information clearly posted on the signs you appear not to have seen despite them being all over the place at a MSA and also having a flipping great one at least 4x2ft on the way from the carpark to the entrance of the building.

i really dont know what your issue is, or if you simply cannot read:
at what point did i ever say i hadnt seen the signs, or indeed even say that i had been on a motorway service station?

i responded to the information provided by a government body, the Highways Agency
(copied here)

Quote:
The policy requires MSA operators to provide free parking for up to two hours for all types of vehicle, allowing people to take a break, use the facilities and/or eat a meal. After this operators are permitted to charge for parking. This is because the main safety function of MSAs is to allow drivers to take a short break from driving. Given that MSAs are privately owned businesses, Government has no direct control over the operation of these sites.


so they are allowed to 'charge'

therefore they should display the charging tariff, & allow users to pay the charge for the period of time they wish to park.
just like a car park

so if i go to an MSA, & know in advance, that i will be parking for 2hours 45mins, i have no choice but to pay for parking for 24hours?

i cant extrapolate from their charges what an hours parking would be, & offer them that?
or i could drive off, come back a few hours later, & park for another 21hours, & not have to pay again? (as ive already paid for 24hours)


the parking companies already know that what they try & 'fine' people for is unenforeceable, so what would they do in either of those 2 cases?

Coupon-mad

computershack wrote: »

Would you like to actually enlighten us as to what you're on about?

I think the only poster on this thread who needs to be enlightened as to the fact that the extortionate 'charge' that you are explaining is a penalty by another name. This isn't lawful, as explained before.

HTH

biscuitdunker

computershack seems to think it's OK to charge a flat rate of an exorbitant amount after 2 hours of free parking. He/she thinks that because there are signs which say this, that it's OK. Well, it's not OK. If someone wants to park up and rest for 4 hours, why the hell should they be forced to pay for 24 hours?? It's clearly a penalty for overstaying the 2 hour limit, calling it a flat rate charge does not make it so.