How will a 3 tier parking charge level proposed by the BPA fit on a legible sign? Answer = it won't

Coupon-mad

Had a bit of fun trying to make the complicated '3 tier approach to PCN levels' fit on a contractual sign! 

No chance - I don't even think 2 tiers will work on a single 'contractual' sign:

PRIVATE  LAND

ANPR /CCTV IS IN USE AT THIS SITE TO HELP US ISSUE AS MANY PARKING CHARGES 

AS POSSIBLE AND TO OBTAIN THE REGISTERED KEEPER’S DATA QUICKER BECAUSE 

WE KNOW THAT A  REGISTERED KEEPER IS MORE LIKELY TO PAY WITHOUT QUESTION

AND BLAME THE DRIVER, ESPECIALLY IF WE GET LUCKY WITH A LEASE/HIRE FIRM

 

PAY AND DISPLAY (CASH AND CARD ACCEPTED)

 OR PAY BY PHONE: SEE TARIFFS AT MACHINES

 YOU MUST PAY WITHIN TWO MINUTES FLAT OR LEAVE AT A RATE OF KNOTS IF THE TARIFF IS TOO

 HIGH, OR IF THE MACHINE IS BROKEN/APP ISN’T WORKING BECAUSE WE WILL PENALISE THE 

REGISTERED KEEPER LATER ANYWAY FOR A ‘TOTAL STAY’ THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO PROVE,

 USING CAMERAS THAT ARE NOT SYCHRONISED WITH ANY OTHER CAMERA OR PAYMENT 

SYSTEM AND NEVER AUDITED BECAUSE IT’S OUTSIDE OF OUR APA’S REMIT TO CHECK SUCH THINGS

 

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING WILL RESULT IN A PARKING CHARGE FOR BREACH OF CONTRACTUAL TERMS.   

WE USE THREE COMPLICATED LEVELS THAT WILL TAKE YOU LONGER THAN TEN MINUTES TO READ AND UNDERSTAND 

(AND WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM EITHER).  NONE OF THE DISCOUNTS ARE CONSISTENT BUT 

WE HOPE THAT NO-ONE WILL NOTICE THAT:

 

Upper Level:  £punitive, exorbitant sum

(discounted sum: £more than clampers extorted)

- Parking in an accessible bay without a Blue Badge (never mind that you might be disabled anyway and while we are about it, let's add an Equality Act breaching requirement to display the BB clock as well, to restrict disabled people to 3 hours even though able bodied people are not restricted on time here).

- Overstay of max free stay by more than 1 hour (we secretly time you from arrival at the entrance, not from parking the car and you will have to believe our timing when we send the registered keeper a higher charge, stating that the overstay was - conveniently and unprovably - 1 hour and ten seconds)

- Non-payment of parking tariff

- Parking where parking not permitted (consideration? who needs it in contract law anyway)

- Obstructive/dangerous parking to the detriment of others

- Parking in service/loading areas and/or hatched areas

- Parking without authorisation or permit

- Parking in car park when closed (we'd rather fine you than shut a gate or barrier)

 

Middle Level:  £ludicrously punitive sum

(discounted sum:  £much too high)

- Parking in a parent and child bay (yes, we know it's a retailers' gimmick, not an 'accessible bay' at all, but it's a moneyspinner and the way the bays look so similar,  fools parents into thinking they have some sort of right to use disabled bays if these 'special' bays are full)

- Parking in EV charging bay, whilst not charging

- Parking where not permitted such as grass verges

- Vehicle exceeds maximum weight and/or height and/or length permitted in the area

- Using a vehicle in a parking place in connection with the sale/offering for sale of goods when prohibited (yes, we all know that's not a thing...and not a parking event)

 

Lower : £stupid money for minor event

(discounted sum: £far too high) 

-  Parking outside of marked bay (across multiple bays) (the landowner probably wants to deter this more than we do but we had to put something here, so this one will do...)

None of the following actually happen but we’ve made some up to make it look like there’s a lower level parking charge:

-   Parking in bays dedicated for motorcycles or scooter 

-   Parking in bays dedicated for bicycles (what bays are those...never seen them?  Nor have we)

-   Returning within one hour of leaving, where prohibited (never mind if it’s a different driver…)

-   Parked with the engine running, where prohibited

(Why not make up some more, no-one will notice):

-   PARKING ON A CRACK IN THE PAVEMENT

-   DRIVING AROUND IN AN OFFENSIVE CAR

**************************************************************************

Then the stuff about the driver agreeing to pay it and the registered keeper’s data being obtained from the DVLA.

 

Add some dross about being able to add £(insert imaginary sum we think we can get away with here) ostensibly for ‘debt recovery’ because our victims can’t tell the difference between that and bailiffs. We’ve got away with it for so long we hope no-one knows this is double recovery invented by ZZPS to bump up the sum to make the spoils worth chasing 'or no-one would make any money'.

 

Then the GDPR blurb…(lots of words)

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

 

Then the parking operator’s name and contact details

Then the landowner’s name and contact details

Then the BPA or IPC logo

beamerguy

Coupon .... The BPA are just an old defunct dinosaur 
Their members take no notice of them, and if the BPA expect all the changes, they should pay for them, after all the PPC pays for a service

The quicker the government understands that the BPA is not in the interests of the motorist, the better

Umkomaas

Don't forget all that guff that PE also add to the foot of each of their signs. Was that 400 words (or maybe 800)?  Top of the sign 15', bottom edge around 8'!

bargepole

Again, this issue was covered in my response to PAS232:

A prominently positioned sign must be placed at all entrances to a car park or parking area, and must state whether parking is free for a specified period, whether charges apply, or whether parking permits are required.

Further signs inside the car park or parking area must clearly state the terms and conditions of parking, any applicable tariff and methods of payment, and the relevant charge for breaches of the terms. These signs must be repeated at least every 10 metres apart, and must be fully illuminated during hours of darkness.

Any charge for breaching the terms of parking must be prominently featured on the signage, in a larger font than any other part of the sign, and highlighted in a contrasting background colour.

It is recommended that Operators follow the Department for Transport guidance for signage, with regard to size of signs, font sizes, density of text, and height of signs above ground level. Signs which are placed too high above the ground to be read by a driver sitting in a vehicle, or which contain densely packed text which cannot be read from inside a vehicle, are unlikely to be considered to create any contractual liability on the part of the motorist.

Signs must provide the prescribed information required by Schedule 2 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Signs must have appropriate authorisation for their erection from the relevant Local Authority, in compliance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007

Le_Kirk

@Coupon-mad - bigger signs (then you won't be able to gain access to the car park) or smaller font so you can fit it all on the small sign and don't forget the Big Red Hand!

AnotherForumite

Or simply state:

‘By parking in breach of the terms and conditions (or contractual licence etc), the driver agrees to pay a Parking Charge of up to £120...’

Then the PPC would apply the applicable charge; the use of the term ‘up to’ would negate the need to specify a sum next to each term.

Redx

AnotherForumite said:

Or simply state:

‘By parking in breach of the terms and conditions (or contractual licence etc), the driver agrees to pay a Parking Charge of up to £20...’

Then the PPC would apply the applicable charge; the use of the term ‘up to’ would negate the need to specify a sum next to each term.

There , corrected that typo for you

AnotherForumite

Redx said:

AnotherForumite said:

Or simply state:

‘By parking in breach of the terms and conditions (or contractual licence etc), the driver agrees to pay a Parking Charge of up to £20.. or immobilised with a release fee of £150.

Then the PPC would apply the applicable charge; the use of the term ‘up to’ would negate the need to specify a sum next to each term.

There , corrected that typo for you

3rd draft above 😏

Redx

AnotherForumite said:

Or simply state:

‘By parking in breach of the terms and conditions (or contractual licence etc), the driver (if known) agrees to pay a Parking Charge of up to £20...’ this will not require registered keepers to be contacted unless it is known and can be proven in a court of law  that they were also the driver , unless the parking company have fully complied with POFA

Then the PPC would apply the applicable charge to only the driver; the use of the term ‘up to’ would negate the need to specify a sum next to each term.

Fourth draft above

Oh dear , it's starting to look like war and peace same as most of the current cr#ppy signs we see now 😜😋

AnotherForumite

Lets simplify the 'War and Peace' then:

By parking in breach of the terms and conditions (or contractual licence etc), the driver agrees to pay a Parking Charge of up to £120 / have their vehicle immobilised with a release fee of £150 / have their vehicle removed to a secure compound where no release fee will apply; however, proof of ownership will be required before release. Warning CCTV in use so as to assist with the identification of the driver in the event of any dispute.

Hows that for team work 

Redx

Nah , thats going back to the wild west of bullying cowboy clamping which is not going to happen !!

I have simplified it for you below

Free Parking , no restrictions , Enjoy