Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Letter to the TV lawyer Gary Rycroft from a University employee in fear of 'huge debts' from an unfair new parking regime:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/m-worried-might-huge-debts-100000807.html

Shame he only said this right at the end of a reasonable answer, where this should ALWAYS be pushed first as PLAN A:

"And frankly, if it is not enough for this to be resolved quickly and satisfactorily, and the private parking company persists, I would write to the university to say that, in your view, they are using a private parking company showing no regard for the law and which is causing worry and misery to the university’s staff. I very much believe entities like educational establishments, hospitals, pubs and supermarkets who use private parking companies should be made aware of how they operate, be that good or ill."

Totally agree - but tell people to do that FIRST.

Coupon-mad

This (below article link) is another one about ECP (NAMED AND SHAMED) given I found the site details here, and it is ruined by them:

https://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/carpark/midkent_shopping_centre/me16/maidstone/?arriving=202312311630&leaving=202312311830

Euro Car Parks Limited
MidKent Shopping Centre
5 Castle Road
Maidstone
ME16 0PX

https://lcpgroup.co.uk/estate/1278/mid-kent-centre


Article here:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/making-staff-pay-for-parking-is-unfair-299195/

Mid Kent Shopping Centre in Allington slammed for charging shop staff £50 a month for parking

An “unfair” decision to change parking fares for a shopping centre’s workers has been called one of “pure greed”.  Until December 12, staff at the Mid Kent Shopping centre were allowed to use the car park free of charge.

Now, every business has been offered JUST ONE registered parking spot where someone can park free.

One shop manager said:

"My staff have to park outside the centre or pay £50 a month which will just push all those working onto the roads.  The residents will be annoyed as well. Nearby are quiet roads with bungalows and it’s a nice area.  As soon as you add more cars these people aren’t going to be happy.”

Worse, 'greedy' ECP are reportedly expecting all the 21 volunteers at the Charity Shop to EACH pay them £50 per year for a poxy 'permit' that no-one should have to buy at a shopping site that doesn't need ANPR.

Lesley Hayden has worked in Barnardo’s charity shop for five years.  She said:

“I have 21 volunteers who give up their time to help out the charity and I don’t think it’s fair they have to pay to give up their time."

Local Councillors all call this "pure greed".

This is why high street shops are dying. 

Not content with PCNs for overstays, I predict that 'permits' will suddenly become a thing at shopping centres because the DLUHC is intent on making those PCNs £100 (big mistake. I have told them).  

Therefore permit schemes will pop up everywhere, to rip off more money.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Apologies for linking to the hated Scum but it's the only UK rag where I found this story about yet another retail park with unneeded and inappropriate ANPR that doesn't exempt EV charging vehicles:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/24951930/fined-using-ev-space-charging-electric-car/amp/

"An elderly couple were left stunned when they were slapped with a fine for stopping in an EV-only parking space, despite using it to charge their electric car.

Gillian slammed ECP for the "laughable" fine, saying it had only served to make Trevor, 87 (disabled by severe medical conditions) who relies on the car to get around and is receiving palliative care at home, anxious."

Greed.  Pure evil greed.

Euro Car Parks named and shamed again.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Drivers handed nearly 36,000 parking tickets a day by private firms

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-12-26/drivers-handed-nearly-36000-parking-tickets-a-day-by-private-firms

"More than 3.3 million tickets were handed out between July and September, according to analysis of government data by the PA news agency and motoring research charity the RAC Foundation.

The figure is up 16% from 2.9 million during the same period last year and represents a record daily average of 35,960.

Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total cost to drivers may be near £3.6 million per day at the current rate."

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

Letter to the TV lawyer Gary Rycroft from a University employee in fear of 'huge debts' from an unfair new parking regime:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/m-worried-might-huge-debts-100000807.html

Shame he only said this right at the end of a reasonable answer, where this should ALWAYS be pushed first as PLAN A:

"And frankly, if it is not enough for this to be resolved quickly and satisfactorily, and the private parking company persists, I would write to the university to say that, in your view, they are using a private parking company showing no regard for the law and which is causing worry and misery to the university’s staff. I very much believe entities like educational establishments, hospitals, pubs and supermarkets who use private parking companies should be made aware of how they operate, be that good or ill."

Totally agree - but tell people to do that FIRST.

On Saturday evening at 9pm on LBC , there is the legal hour presented by Daniel Barnett
He makes it very clear at the start that he is not interested in parking tickets ??
The BIGGEST SCAM in the UK and Barnett does not want to help ??

Are LBC in the mucky hands of this mega parking scam ?  LBC should be employing a legal who really has the public's interest at heart

patient_dream

Not content with PCNs for overstays, I predict that 'permits' will suddenly become a thing at shopping centres because the DLUHC is intent on making those PCNs £100 (big mistake. I have told them).  

Therefore permit schemes will pop up everywhere, to rip off more money.

The BPA must be so proud.

This fits in with the Sunak childish dictatorship
This is saying that the DULHC APPROVES THE SCAM  ..... WHO IS MAKING MONEY FROM THIS ....... ???

Who runs the DULHC .......   who arranged the multi million pound PPE scandal ...
we all know ... GOVE ?

Sunak is very gullable and he will not be PM in the election. Then he can vote for all his cronies that he called goverment to become Lords or whatever

Enough said for the moment

Coupon-mad

Coupon-mad said:

Peel Centre Gloucester named & shamed again:

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/man-who-spent-800-shopping-8994229.amp
Man who spent £800 while shopping at Next, Dreams and Costa hit with £100 fine for parking more than two hours at Gloucester Peel Centre

"Ocean Parking and Peel have not responded to a request for comment."

Quelle surprise...

Shaun Earl, who is from the Forest of Dean, is among the shoppers who have recently fallen foul of the strict parking rules at the St Ann Way retail park.

Mr Earl claims the new operator, Ocean Parking, say they do not care if people being fined are a genuine customer as the stores are not their client, 

"“I showed that I was a genuine customer and the timestamps show that I was in the stores on site, but they still want money," he said. "Speaking to Dreams, they told me the old operator was reasonable and cancelled tickets where customers had just lost track of time.

Dreams were clearly fed up with the situation as it is losing them business it seemed like orders are being cancelled in riposte,

The car park was practically empty when I went and that’s probably because of this. I can go to Monmouth, Gloucester or Bristol for shopping. It doesn’t matter to me but if I’m going to be targeted in Gloucester I’ll go somewhere else.”

The BPA must be so proud.

ANPR is putting the final nails in the coffin of High Street shopping.

The same car park yet again demonstrating why ANPR is unsuitable for retail parks:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/disabled-woman-angered-two-100-9006425.amp

Woman with ADHD gets parking fine for 'abusing privilege'

Karen found herself with two parking tickets from the same car park within a month, including one for 'overstay' despite the fact someone with ADHD is clearly likely to need more time for purchase decision-making.

IMHO the first PCN was illegal - an Equality Act 2010 breach.

Second one is unfair and unjustified. This is no way to treat shoppers.

The BPA must be so proud.

ANPR is putting the final nails in the coffin of High Street shopping. 

Nellymoser

How can ANPR cameras be seen as an effective tool in private car park management when users need to obtain and retain their own evidence of time spent in private car parks.
Here are two articles on two different car parks managed by different PPCs highlighting the same problem - ANPR cameras record incorrect long parking overstays.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/motorists-mystified-after-being-fined-28209674
CP Plus/Group Nexus had to adjust their camera alignments at Mostyn Champneys retail car park after motorists were mystified by pcns for phantom parking and social media became awash with reports of pcns incorrectly issued for overstays as long as 2 days.

A healthcare assistant said "They're taking the mick" after her notice stated she parked for 47hrs 53mins.

Another worker parked for more than 48hrs according to the parking operator according to her google timeline she didn't. She  claimed "it's a regular occurrence at this car park!"

One identified a problem when driving in one entrance and exiting by another.

Welsh Seneed member Janet Finch-Saunders got involved getting pcns cancelled for her complainants. After a meeting with the parking operator she was heartened by their response and "told they do their very best to investigate appeals using their cameras." Would that be the same cameras that incorrectly recorded the overstay in the first place !!!!

The PPC informed her the problem may have stemmed from vehicles tailgating as they exited. Group Nexus offered no solution to prevent what is normal practice for queuing cars who have a defined time limit to exit the car park other than advise drivers to "leave the usual distance from the car in front so as not to cause the issue." How are drivers expected to know what the usual distance is for cameras the operator positioned to read a car's reg plate?

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/thurmaston-retail-park-visitors-issued-8943589
Exactly the same ANPR camera recording problems are reported in this Leicestershire retail car park managed by Creative Car Park. Same complaints from users..pcns issued incorrectly for long overstays "caused unnecessary stress"..."appealing wasn't easy email bounced back" and provided phone number "didnt help." One user believed "it's because they have a camera on one entrance/exit and not the other". If that's true Creative Car Park should just bow out of the car park management business as that's an obvious lack of skill or a practice aimed at generating pcns.
ANPR cameras in the hands of PPCs cause harm to motorists and should be banned.
Happy New Year to all 🍻

Coupon-mad

I agree.

ANPR in most car parks should be banned because it isn't 'parking management'.

It is primarily a PCN generation system.

And it buys data illegally, in cases with disabled occupants of the car and in cases of double dips.  And it loses shops, pubs and gyms customers for life.

It is astonishing that large retail parks and supermarket bigwigs keep falling for the spiel that there have been complaints that:

'people can't park because the spaces are taken up by drivers leaving their cars and going into town'

..when in real life, such complaints don't actually happen commonly.  Come on ANPR firms, who are you kidding?

Average drivers coming to do their shopping just don't sit in their cars and watch other drivers and then fire off 'cheesed off from Cheltenham' complaint emails to Tesco et al.

Coupon-mad

This is different, about the hated ULEZ:

Dutch hauliers launch legal challenge against ULEZ fines

https://motortransport.co.uk/industry-news/dutch-hauliers-launch-legal-challenge-against-ulez-fines/17703.article

"Transport in Nood BV owner Antonio Oliveira said the company was launching the case because of unfair fines that have bankrupted some firms.

He told the Telegraph: “People have been really impacted. I have seen people in tears over this, others have had to sell their trucks. It is completely unjust, and we need to get an answer from an English court to find out if this is correct.

“We are launching this claim to get the fines that have already been paid to be repaid, and the court costs. We are talking millions of pounds. We are only talking about Holland – it must be even greater across Europe. We are not the only country, of course.”

Transport in Nood is being represented by UK law firm Smith, Bowyer and Clarke. The firm has submitted an application for the case to be heard in the High Court.

The Dutch company said its clients have received more than 10,000 fine notices from TfL through EPC from November last year, with the majority of these fines arriving at the same time, with some companies receiving hundreds of fines in one day, costing tens of thousands of euros.

Oliveira said one lorry driver who transports flowers to London has been hit with nearly 400 fines, costing him just under €400,000 (£347,271).

Lawyers will argue that if the fines were received as and when they happened, drivers would have been able to change their behaviour and avoid being penalised further."