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Statement from Nick Smith MP for Blaenau Gwent on the BPA/Parking Industry
BASFORDLAD
Posts: 2,418 Forumite
For Immediate Release
7th November 2012
Motorists are the seam that keeps on giving
Private Car Park Operators set out to fleece motorists
Nick Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent, has today launched a broadside against private car park operators who keep on mining motorists through BPA (British Parking Association) backed sharp practice.
Nick Smith MP says the business model of some operators is based on motorists ‘making mistakes’ so they can be fleeced for an alleged breach of car park ‘rules’. and should be roundly condemned.
Nick Smith MP, was bombarded with complaints from shoppers, local traders and taxi drivers unfairly hit by hefty penalty charges, when the management of The Walk car park in Ebbw Vale was taken on by Excel Parking in the Autumn of 2011.
Nick Smith MP has raised this issue in the debate on the Future of our town centres and high streets following the publication of the Portas report in December 2011, at Leader of the House Questions on several occasions. In September 2012 he introduced a Private Member’s Bill to improve signage and ticketing technology in car parks.
Nick Smith MP said: “The British Parking Association (BPA), a trade association, tells me its members have ‘declined to provide information about their business models’.* There is a veil of secrecy here that needs to be lifted.”
“One business model gives the car park owner the income from the regular hourly parking charge: but the operators scoop the income from parking charge notices (PCNs) issued. So the more the motorist gets it wrong, the bigger the profit for the operator.”
“But the BPA say their Approved Operator Scheme, is ‘designed to ensure that the motorist is not unfairly or unduly penalised as a result of these (profit) motives.’*
“This is claptrap as shown by recent DVLA figures which throw the spotlight on car park operators’ business practices – they’re clearly out to fox and fleece the motorist.
“In the last twelve months (from Oct 2011 to Oct 2012) requests for vehicle registration data by private car park operators rose to a staggering 1,774,712 up from 1,086,192 (Oct 2009 to Oct 2010) in just two years.+ An astounding rise of 63%.
“These figures show that some private car park operators are deliberately aiming to trip up motorists – then their mistake is punished. They’re issued with a hefty parking charge notice.
“No wonder motorists are fed up with being a soft target. Elderly constituents have told me of the distress these practices have caused them. They have paid the right amount to park (as indeed they should), but say made an error when tapping in their vehicle registration.
“So they fall foul of car park ‘rules’ and an hour’s shopping for 30p turns into a punishing £60 parking charge notice (which rises if not paid promptly).
“I’m pleased that two of my constituents have asked trading standards, the OFT and the Old People’s Commissioner for Wales to investigate these trading practices.
“Last month the DVLA called time temporarily on car park operators, who blatantly breached the BPA’s Code of Practice. Their access to the DVLA database is suspended for three months. (See Notes to Editors for details)
“These suspended operators are all members of the BPA. They are supposed to honour the BPA’s Code of Practice – and the BPA should be making sure they do. Yet it’s been left to the DVLA to suspend these companies.”
“I’ve repeatedly pressed Ministers for proper regulation of the private car parking industry. But they’ve put their faith in the BPA. This faith is yet again misplaced and the motorist is the loser.”
“It shouldn’t be the DVLA’s job to police the parking industry. We need proper independent regulation which puts the consumer interest first.
“ So I’ve written again to the Minister, Norman Baker, to ask the government to investigate the circumstances of these suspensions and the implications for the issue of parking charge notices prior to suspension.
“As it appears that the signs and PCNs to which the DVLA is now objecting were the same ones in place when the DVLA was allowing access to its electronic database – was this access unlawful?”
7th November 2012
Motorists are the seam that keeps on giving
Private Car Park Operators set out to fleece motorists
Nick Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent, has today launched a broadside against private car park operators who keep on mining motorists through BPA (British Parking Association) backed sharp practice.
Nick Smith MP says the business model of some operators is based on motorists ‘making mistakes’ so they can be fleeced for an alleged breach of car park ‘rules’. and should be roundly condemned.
Nick Smith MP, was bombarded with complaints from shoppers, local traders and taxi drivers unfairly hit by hefty penalty charges, when the management of The Walk car park in Ebbw Vale was taken on by Excel Parking in the Autumn of 2011.
Nick Smith MP has raised this issue in the debate on the Future of our town centres and high streets following the publication of the Portas report in December 2011, at Leader of the House Questions on several occasions. In September 2012 he introduced a Private Member’s Bill to improve signage and ticketing technology in car parks.
Nick Smith MP said: “The British Parking Association (BPA), a trade association, tells me its members have ‘declined to provide information about their business models’.* There is a veil of secrecy here that needs to be lifted.”
“One business model gives the car park owner the income from the regular hourly parking charge: but the operators scoop the income from parking charge notices (PCNs) issued. So the more the motorist gets it wrong, the bigger the profit for the operator.”
“But the BPA say their Approved Operator Scheme, is ‘designed to ensure that the motorist is not unfairly or unduly penalised as a result of these (profit) motives.’*
“This is claptrap as shown by recent DVLA figures which throw the spotlight on car park operators’ business practices – they’re clearly out to fox and fleece the motorist.
“In the last twelve months (from Oct 2011 to Oct 2012) requests for vehicle registration data by private car park operators rose to a staggering 1,774,712 up from 1,086,192 (Oct 2009 to Oct 2010) in just two years.+ An astounding rise of 63%.
“These figures show that some private car park operators are deliberately aiming to trip up motorists – then their mistake is punished. They’re issued with a hefty parking charge notice.
“No wonder motorists are fed up with being a soft target. Elderly constituents have told me of the distress these practices have caused them. They have paid the right amount to park (as indeed they should), but say made an error when tapping in their vehicle registration.
“So they fall foul of car park ‘rules’ and an hour’s shopping for 30p turns into a punishing £60 parking charge notice (which rises if not paid promptly).
“I’m pleased that two of my constituents have asked trading standards, the OFT and the Old People’s Commissioner for Wales to investigate these trading practices.
“Last month the DVLA called time temporarily on car park operators, who blatantly breached the BPA’s Code of Practice. Their access to the DVLA database is suspended for three months. (See Notes to Editors for details)
“These suspended operators are all members of the BPA. They are supposed to honour the BPA’s Code of Practice – and the BPA should be making sure they do. Yet it’s been left to the DVLA to suspend these companies.”
“I’ve repeatedly pressed Ministers for proper regulation of the private car parking industry. But they’ve put their faith in the BPA. This faith is yet again misplaced and the motorist is the loser.”
“It shouldn’t be the DVLA’s job to police the parking industry. We need proper independent regulation which puts the consumer interest first.
“ So I’ve written again to the Minister, Norman Baker, to ask the government to investigate the circumstances of these suspensions and the implications for the issue of parking charge notices prior to suspension.
“As it appears that the signs and PCNs to which the DVLA is now objecting were the same ones in place when the DVLA was allowing access to its electronic database – was this access unlawful?”
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0
Comments
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By George he's got it! I think he's got it!
Je Suis Cecil.0 -
deffo, has got it.0
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Ive just discovered my local MP has joined the Transport Select Comittee, so i have an inside line on them now. Very useful.0
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I have spoken to Nick a few times, I gave him some information about the suspensions and told him that this is not one or two bad apples but endemic across the whole scam industry, he comes across as someone who looks and responds to this intelligently. He's actually an MP I like wish he was my MP local to me
Excel Parking, MET Parking, Combined Parking Solutions, VP Parking Solutions, ANPR PC Ltd, & Roxburghe Debt Collectors. What do they all have in common?
They are all or have been suspended from accessing the DVLA database for gross misconduct!
Do you really need to ask what kind of people run parking companies?0 -
"The Walk" - and the activities of Excel - led me to this forum several months ago after my mum (in her 80s and a Blue Badge holder) got a ticket/invoice there. On my advice she ignored all the threatening Excel/Roxburgh/Graham White letters and kept her money. Some of her friends were telling her to pay up - she feels a bit smug now.
Mr Smith might just have earned himself another vote, too.
Thanks again to the forum.0 -
That's one MP not on the BPA Christmas card list this yer0
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By George he's got it! I think he's got it!
He hasn't quite Got It - he doesn't make any mention of the charges actually being unenforceable, nor does he suggest his constituents would be better off just not paying them.
It's a start though!:T:T:T
2010 Wins
Good Beer Guide, 7" digital photo frame, Bottle Armani Code Pour Homme0 -
Spot on. It's worrying that a man of some intellect hasn't quite understood the business model - and there is only one with a number of slight variations.ginnersinner wrote: »He hasn't quite Got It - he doesn't make any mention of the charges actually being unenforceable, nor does he suggest his constituents would be better off just not paying them.
It's a start though!
I suppose we could say that we are getting there, slowly, but after all that has been said and done here for the last three years (to my certain knowledge) its is extremely frustrating. I have not changed what I have been saying throughout that time and - with many others - have been dismissed by the BPA and their ilk as free-loaders and inveterate whingers. Now what we have been saying is being accepted as true.
The truth is that the standard PPC business model is a mirror of that employed by tax farmers from former times. Then tax farming was used as a means of social control by regimes that didn't want to get their hands dirty but still wanted a financial return. The upshot was always the same. The state got its money and the tax farmers were lynched.
Make no mistake, successive governments have made use of PPC's (amongst many other things) to broaden the impact of their transport policy which has the objective of reducing private car use by hitting motorists in their pockets and "driving" them out of their cars [sorry about the pun] and the BPA has sought to position itself (and its members) in just such a way. Were the BPA ever to suggest that they did not understand the business model of their members then that positioning probably shows that they do and always have done.My very sincere apologies for those hoping to request off-board assistance but I am now so inundated with requests that in order to do justice to those "already in the system" I am no longer accepting PM's and am unlikely to do so for the foreseeable future (August 2016).
For those seeking more detailed advice and guidance regarding small claims cases arising from private parking issues I recommend that you visit the Private Parking forum on PePiPoo.com0
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