Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

And yet another ridiculous ANPR regime, this time completely inappropriately in place at a residential car park where the victim lives and had an authorised permit:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24038608.blackburn-man-left-5-000-parking-fines/

Named and shamed:

Smart Parking

Debt Recovery Plus

HLM Property Management who were STUPID ENOUGH TO SIGN THIS RIDICULOUS AND UNNECESSARY PARKING CONTRACT and have now weakly said they are "working to resolve the issue."

HLM Property Management
YOU CAUSED IT - AND GUESS WHAT? YOU ARE NOW STUCK WITH THIS REGIME AND PEOPLE LIKE US WILL WARN PEOPLE OFF LIVING HERE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ARE INFLICTING ON YOUR RESIDENTS. 

The victim resident, Ahmed, who does not want to reveal his last name, says he has been sent 47 fines so far after being charged for parking at his apartment, which is in Newspaper House in High Street, Blackburn.

He has also been sent threatening letters from debt collectors as a result.  The 27-year-old said the issues arose after moving into the apartment last August.

He set up a parking permit, which was valid from October 13. Ahmed said he was told by HLM Property Management it would manually notify Smart Parking about the permit throughout October, so he would not be charged.

“It was around the middle of November when I started receiving loads of fines, I have received 47 in total so far."

He said the issue has taken a toll on his mental health, suffering sleepless nights and days filled with worry, especially after receiving a letter from Debt Recovery Plus.

Ahmed said:

“I am an honest person. There are no words to describe the impact this has had on my mental health.

I have hundreds of emails just about fines and appeals. I have to remain strong but I have been so stressed.  This has made me feel depressed. I feel sorry for elderly people who might be in a similar situation."

Smart Parking was approached for comment but did not respond.

The BPA must be so proud. 

Coupon-mad

Next up:

Shopper vows to boycott retail park after getting parking fine

Named and shamed:

UKCPS (looks like them on the DRP letter)?

Debt Recovery Plus

Abbeymead Shopping Park 

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/real-life/shopper-vows-boycott-retail-park-9029384.amp

Caroline appealed, but despite having shared her receipts, proving she spent all her time shopping and eating on site, she was told the regulations are ‘clearly signposted’ and she needed to pay up.

Caroline says she won't and could now face court action and a possible CCJ. She said:

"It’s just causing unnecessary stress. If I get a CCJ just for going out and spending money then I think that’s unfair. It was the first time I’d been there in months. I didn’t even think about the time when I got there as I was eating and drinking then doing my shopping".

She said: “I will be boycotting the place and so will friends and family. We’ll go someplace else. I won’t go back to any of the restaurants as you don’t know how long you’re going to be there for.”

“It’s stressful enough going out shopping without having to worry about what time you came in. If you said to me 'four hours you’d get free and then after you’d pay a £1 charge', I’d have been happy to do so.”

And so say all of us.

Get PPCs out of retail parks.  Now.

Coupon-mad

And there's the usual double dip crap, of course, this time from Horizon Parking. 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24031138.brockhall-village-man-gets-unfair-fine-parking-fine-co-op/

James Westbrook, 76, was given a £70 fine after visiting the Co-op in King Street twice in one day on December 18.

James said he was in the shop for less than half an hour each time, once at around 9.20am, for around 15 minutes, and again at 1.34pm, for around 20 minutes.  Drivers can use this car park for free for up to 30 minutes and customers who spend £5 in store can use the site for two hours.

The PCN, seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, shows the car arriving in the morning but not leaving.  Another camera picture shows the car leaving in the afternoon but not arriving.

“Errors like this shouldn’t be happening. They can’t be getting away with this.  I have plenty of elderly friends who would not be able to cope with that.  I hope this is the last unfair fine given out to any member of the public using that car park.”

This is not the first time an “unfair” fine has been given out at the car park.

At the end of 2022 Simon Livesey also came to the Lancashire Telegraph after receiving a £70 fine.

On September 29, Simon used the car park to pick up his order from a Chinese takeaway and said he was only parked for 15 minutes.  He then returned the next morning while on the school run. Again, Simon says he only used it for around 15 minutes.

Horizon Parking was approached for comment at the time and to this date has still not responded.

The BPA must be so proud.

Get PPCs out of retail parks.  Now.

Coupon-mad

Next up, ANPR (aka PCN-machine) timewasters Euro Car Parks:

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/186475/our-numberplate-was-cloned-and-we-received-a-parking-ticket-what-can-we-do-to-appeal-

On the Honest John webpage:

Q:

Our numberplate was cloned and we received a parking ticket, what can we do to appeal?

"My wife recently received a parking fine from Euro Car Parks for overstaying in a Sainsbury’s car park in Surrey. At the time the vehicle was parked on our drive in Northumberland and we have time stamped videos from a neighbours door cam to prove it."

Appallingly inadequate boilerplate answer from that useless website:

A:

"You can read our guide here (SNIPPED BECAUSE IT'S CRAP).  This explains the process for both Penalty Charge Notices issued by local authorities and also those received from private parking companies, as in your case. You can appeal this ticket on the grounds of fraud, but if this is unsuccessful you can also appeal to the relevant trade body."

Jeez ... come on Honest John (answered badly by David Ross).  Engage your brain and make an effort for this victim.

it's not even a cloned numberplate.  It will be a VRM misread creatively invented by 'enhancing' (guesswork) by ECP).  

Did you tell this victim that? No. Useless.

The BPA must be so proud.

Get PPCs out of retail parks.  Now.

Coupon-mad

OMG I just read the Honest John guide:

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/parking-ticket-appeals/

"Appealing a parking ticket"

Here are some completely wrong snippets:

Is the driver responsible for a parking ticket?

In these circumstances, even if the driver is responsible for collecting the ticket, ultimately the owner of the vehicle will be held responsible for any charges if they do not know, or cannot determine, who the driver was at the time.

Ludicrously naive rubbish that presumes all PPCs use the POFA.  

Even worse:

You also have the option to make the more risky appeal and write to the company stating you will not pay the fine, giving the reasons why. If you choose this option, the worst case scenario is that the company will take you to court. If you lose, you will have to pay the fine and court costs, which could be as high as £400 or even more if there is a formal hearing.

Absolute rubbish.

FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS - ARE YOU MAD?

Who wrote this trash, one of the APAs?

Even worse:

How do I appeal if the parking company is not a member of a trade body?

Assuming the parking company has its own appeals process, by using this you are accepting the validity of the fine. It is therefore a matter of judging the risk for yourself, and instead of appealing you may wish to write a letter as suggested previously and state that you will not be paying the fine and give your reasons why.

So, write to a dodgy firm who can't get your data, and GIVE THEM YOUR DATA?!

Words fail me.

Coupon-mad

We all know (not that the ANPR mob do anything about it) that fixed free parking time limits are illegal.

But this article makes a good point that other PPC immovable policies, such as involving remembering your numberplate are discriminatory too:

Named and shamed:

ParkingEye

Lidl

https://www.okehampton-today.co.uk/news/shopper-concerns-that-lidl-parking-system-is-discriminatory-to-memory-loss-sufferers-659767

Shopper concerns that Lidl parking system is discriminatory

Questions have been raised over the fairness of the new parking system in Okehampton Lidl car park for those with short-term memory loss.

The new system, which was introduced last year, requires shoppers to scan their receipt and input their licence plate number into a machine after paying in order to avoid a fine. 

 “The problem is that for the elderly with short-term memory loss, it is impossible. Short-term memory loss means that even if the cashier reminds the elderly shopper to scan their receipt and input their registration, any conversation/distraction after that simply replaces the reminder.

“The current system, I believe, is discriminating against the elderly population who have a higher proportion of short-term memory loss.”

Lynn Roddy, director of home care organisation Home Instead, also has concerns, saying the system may not only affect those with short-term memory loss but also those with physical difficulties. 

She said:

“Arthritic fingers may find it difficult to key in a registration. For those on their journey with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, working memory struggles the most when it is under pressure."

True.

This term is certainly discriminatory IMHO.

Lidl responded to the paper with a script - looks like it was written by ParkingEye - that witters on in their usual crap and irrelevant spiel, about how many signs are up.

The BPA must be so proud.

Get PPCs out of retail parks.  Now.

Coupon-mad

Hands up who thinks this 'new cashless parking system' will have gone down well with supporters:

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/news/2024/january/parking-trial/

They'll be binning that once they get the flood of complaints after the PCNs start arriving to unsuspecting supporters who couldn't do it, made a typo or didn't see the new signs.

Coupon-mad

Another article about Euro Car Parks using faceless ANPR to pretend they can 'fine' people on behalf of Kent County Council at country parks:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/amp/thousands-fined-for-parking-at-kent-s-country-parks-300008/

"KCC said that the income it receives from parking fines is not as high as one might expect because firstly, not all fines issued are paid."

(...Comment: yep.  Quite right.  Who on earth would be daft enough to pay?!

- Not all of them are valid.

- Not all PCN recipients are stupid.

- And none of these so called 'fines' can hold a registered keeper liable)..

"But principally, it shares the income with Euro Car Parks which operates the parking on its behalf.  Once all costs are accounted for, the remaining income is split between KCC and the operator, with Kent receiving 30%."

...the article reports that the total expected income from fines and fees in a full year = around £837,000.

So ECP rinses around £586,000 from these sites alone.

Instead of all the profit going to the Council who could easily run these sites themselves with proper TMA penalties issued under a Parking Places Order, and make more money to improve transport & roads infrastructure for locals.

I think ANPR can (arguably) be used on parkland, as it has a different legal status than other car parks where Local Authorities cannot.

But people caught out will include disabled motorists et al because ANPR systems don't give a flying fig about the Equality Act 2010.

Coupon-mad

A father given a £100 parking ticket after stopping for ten minutes to help his son whose car had been broken into says he is prepared to go to court.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/wolverhampton/2024/01/16/dad-issued-parking-fine-while-collecting-son-whose-car-had-been-broken-into/

Can't read the full article behind a paywall but it's  Euro Car Parks and their faceless ANPR 'auto PCN churning machine' yet again.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Aldi cancel parking fines after shoppers threatened boycott

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/24051273.wickford-residents-move-boycott-wickford-aldi-parking/

Locals complained that they have been hit with unfair parking fines following a change in the parking rules at the Aldi in The Broadway.

Previously, shoppers could park for free at the supermarket but in December a new system was put in place where customers must pay to park and enter their registration on an electrical system.

Multiple shoppers have claimed they were not made aware of the changes and have since been fined, sparking calls on social media to “boycott the supermarket”.

Aldi has now responded to insist it will rescind any parking fines dished out in the last month, but said shoppers must start using the new system.

Billericay resident, Viv Devlin, 66, who was fined for using the car park, said: “I was in the car park for 12 minutes and I wasn’t best pleased when I got a fine in the post for £70."

“I have no intention of going again. While it was closed, we went to Lidl and Tesco and that was fine. I would join a boycott as it is out of order to do that to people. If you want people to come back after ten months don’t send them away with a £70 fine."

So ParkingEye reportedly swept these first few under the carpet to shut the 'noise' up and keep Aldi sweet, knowing full well they will make a mint from this (unsuitable for shoppers) punitive system.

The BPA must be so proud.