Parking stories in the News/media

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As usual, there's more:

Named & shamed: UKCPS.

Chesterfield cancer patient fined £100 for parking in family space at retail park

"A Chesterfield cancer patient and blue badge holder has been hit with a £100 fine for using a parent and child parking space at a town retail park"

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/people/chesterfield-cancer-patient-fined-ps100-for-parking-in-family-space-at-retail-park-4527414

The victim actually thinks he has to pay ex-wheelclampers UKCPS £100.  And the newspaper hasn't told him otherwise.

"Roy Ingham, 58, suffers from acute myeloid leukaemia and is out of breath after walking more than 10 metres. He parked his Kia Stonic in the family spot outside Marks & Spencer at Ravenside Retail Park on January 11 when all the disabled spaces were full."

Never heard of 'reasonable adjustments' under the Equality Act 2010, UKCPS?

The IPC must be so proud.

Jeez.  This is basic disability law.

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And another disability discrimination example, this time ParkingEye of course:

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/24119488.barrow-pensioners-call-leeway-parking-fine/

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/24051413.barrow-pensioner-fined-disabled-wife-says-it-wasnt-enough-time/

"An elderly couple who visited The Range in Barrow have been fined for parking after they say it 'just wasn't enough time.'

Elizabeth and William Harrison, both 86, visited The Range on Duke Street. Elizabeth is a disabled Blue Badge holder and suffers with severe arthritis and gout.

The Harrisons say they have not been to the town centre shopping for the best part of 18 months and now after this latest incident, they say they're done."

They went and paid it.

Shame in you ParkingEye.

Asked for a quote, ParkingEye spouted the usual garbage DESPITE knowing that these were elderly disabled people who ARE ENTITLED TO MORE TIME BY LAW.

Never heard of 'reasonable adjustments' under the Equality Act 2010, ParkingEye?

The BPA must be so proud.

Jeez.  This is basic disability law.

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Named and shamed too, is Euro Car Parks:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-handed-huge-100-parking-32142152.amp

"Ratna Patel used the Upper Parliament Street Car Park in Nottingham's city centre on November 13 last year. When she came to pay, she said the machine was broken. She said a parking attendant from Euro Car Parks at the site told her to go home and pay online. However, the website wouldn't accept her code or car registration details to pay the £5 fee.

She added she provided proof of the issue but was still given a £100 fine. Since then, she's found it hard to contact anyone at the company. She has since paid for the fine amid fears it could affect her credit score."

Shame on you, Euro Car Parks.

The BPA must be so proud.

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And now we have Civil Enforcement Ltd:

https://www.theforester.co.uk/news/chepstow-parking-appeal-denied-because-youve-paid-666329

Mrs Stead, who was in Chepstow to take her brother to a furniture recycling charity, wanted to argue that she never left the vehicle and was in the car park for less than 15 minutes and so was not “parked”.

She said she paid immediately without making further inquiries because she felt “frightened” by the letter.
 
Shame on you, CEL & 'Captain Scott' Wonga.

The BPA must be so proud.

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Next, greedy ex-wheelclampers VCS:

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/regional-news/bristol-airport-drivers-fury-100-9107861.amp

"A driver who visited Bristol Airport was left feeling 'dismayed' after he struggled to find the pick-up area and ended up with a £100 fine. Andrew Ridler complained about the lack of clear signs during major building work at the airport. This work has led to the long-stay car park being closed and the pick-up car park being moved.

The 71-year-old went to the airport on Friday, January 19 to collect his 80 year old sister from her flight from Amsterdam. Andrew had to pay for parking twice while trying to find the right place to park. After not being able to find the pick-up area, he stopped briefly to meet his sister near some temporary traffic lights at the exit - this is when he got fined £100."

Named and shamed:

Vehicle Control Services.

The IPC must be so proud.

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And now an article about Group Nexus reportedly not bothering to carry out proper human checks of automated decisions by ANPR, in order to avoid 'double dip' PCNs:

https://www.essexlive.news/news/parking-company-accused-wrongfully-fining-9112720.amp

"Multiple people have reported being wrongfully fined.

Customers at Tollgate Centre in Stanway, Colchester, who may have stopped briefly or only driven through the car park, say they have received tickets falsely claiming they parked there for hours.

EssexLive spoke to one customer, Fiona Howe, about an incident in which she was charged £60 for parking for over six hours in the car park. Fiona claims that in reality, she had visited the car park earlier in the day before coming back later, with the ticket falsely claiming she had been there the whole time..."

ANPR is not fit for use by private firms.  It should be banned, just like clamping was.

Automated decisions - with lack of human checks - are illegal, Group Nexus : a breach of the DPA 2018, UK GDPR (and the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, toothless and doomed though it is).

The BPA must be so proud.

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Yawn... now it's APCOA treating disabled drivers unfairly.

Have NONE of the rogue PPC industry heard of the Equality Act 2010?

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/24124723.cancer-patient-outraged-getting-two-parking-tickets-hospital/

"Elizabeth Lear is a regular visitor to the hospital’s cancer and radiography centre whilst visiting with her husband who is undergoing treatment.

However, the 74 year old was left 'astonished' after being handed two parking tickets from APCOA Parking for using the disabled bays in the North Block car park just off London Road - despite displaying a valid blue badge.  Mr Lear was told by officials that when using a blue disabled badge at the hospital it is now a requirement to register the permit with one of the reception desks around the building.

The couple claimed this is unclear when parking at the hospital and is ‘unrealistic’, particularly for patients and family members visiting the cancer centre.

“When I’m visiting RBH I have to transport my husband and his wheelchair to the centre by the North Block and I simply don’t have the energy to walk around the hospital to register at reception,” she said.

A spokesperson from Royal Berkshire Hospital said:

 “We’d like to apologise to the patient who has now had their PCNs cancelled, and this incident highlights our need as a trust to do more to communicate parking options available to patients."

Good.  That's making the fight noises... but...

APCOA just spouted a load of 'disability-needs-tone-deaf' garbage about registering a Blue Badge which is EXACTLY WHAT THE VICTIM SAID WAS TOO MUCH TO EXPECT AT A CANCER CENTRE...

The BPA must be so proud.

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Another day, another article about this "outrageous scam" industry.

The Blue Keys Hotel is named & shamed.

Can't see the PPC involved, but the victim stupidly paid them £310 for no reason at all:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24134939.blue-keys-hotel-guest-given-ticket-despite-permit/

Spot the unlit, totally inadequate faded sign under foliage above the bins:

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Next one: named & shamed: G24

https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/24140781.kidderminster-mums-anger-unfair-100-parking-fine/

"A TEACHER is outraged after being hit with an "unfair" £100 parking fine after getting stuck in a "gridlocked" car park. Natalie Minaker drove to Crossley Retail Park in Kidderminster just before Christmas to buy a bulky child's car seat, when she would have ordinarily walked to the shops.

On December 22, she parked at the car park, which offers three hours of free parking, at 11.12am in the morning. Ms Minaker and her two daughters, Edith, 4 and Verity, 8, visited the shops and then returned to the car at 11.50am.

She said at this time, the queue to get out was "nose-to-tail" and after 20 minutes of sitting in a stationary queue and being unable to leave the car park, she made the decision to leave the car, walk fifteen minutes to her home to get her children some lunch, and try again later.  

However, she said she was stuck in the car park for an hour due to the "obscene level of traffic." She says was sitting in a queue and unable to leave the car park, resulting in "overstaying" by 12 minutes."

This is parking management by ANPR is it?

The IPC must be so proud of G24.

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Morrisons Hadleigh store new parking cameras 'unethical'

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/24136689.morrisons-hadleigh-store-new-parking-cameras-unethical/

"Morrisons has confirmed it has now switched on the ANPR cameras at the London Road, Hadleigh, shop despite campaigning MPs and residents opposing the new three-hour parking limit.  Just three weeks ago, campaigners celebrated after the supermarket agreed to review the new limit which they feared “deterred shoppers from visiting neighbouring businesses”.

When Morrisons opened in 2012 it provided a huge car park which served the supermarket as well as the town centre, however a new three-hour parking limit was announced last year.

After an “adjustment period” for residents, the cameras have now officially been switched on.

However, Morrisons has said it is “still committed to carrying out a review”. 

St James’ councillor Simon Hart said: “It goes against what they agreed when they got planning permission. It’s unethical.

“It’s weakening the high street when it’s weak enough already. Parking needs to be convenient for shoppers to stop them going online. Small independent shops could lose footfall if shoppers aren’t confident they can park without the fear of getting a parking fine.”

Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris has called on Morrisons to “honour” the original parking agreement which she claims included “providing free parking at all times”. She said: “Whenever I have driven past the car park, there are always spaces”.

IMHO this'll likely be ParkingEye.

Utterly pointless in a 'very large' car park provided for the good of local businesses.

The BPA must be so proud.

Shame on you all.