Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Interesting Australian article, in that the NSW Government has decided to require Councils in their area to go back to affixing windscreen PCNs after trialling 'e-PCNs' issued later by post, based upon camera images & data gathered behind the driver's back:

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/nsw-to-make-ticketless-parking-fine-u-turn-after-backlash

https://www.powerfmbegabay.com.au/local-news/a-fine-mess-calls-for-new-approach-to-ticketless-parking-fines/

"New South Wales councils could soon make a big change to how parking fines are issued, after the state government stepped in to address complaints.

Since May 2020, 48 of the state’s 128 councils have transitioned to a ticketless parking fine system where motorists who have parked in a space illegally are sent an infringement notice in the mail – rather than an official note on their vehicle.

The system has faced backlash from motorists who haven’t realised they were in the wrong until weeks after allegedly breaking the parking laws.  If drivers broke parking rules under the ticketless system, they wouldn't find out for weeks until they got a fine letter in the mail, leaving them unable to gather evidence to contest the fine."

The concerns raised are about the timeliness of alerting the driver and restoring public confidence in the fairness of the system.  NSW Minister for Finance, Courtney Houssos, has written to 128 councils this week, urging those who use ticketless parking fines to address shortcoming in their approach. The Minister will also stop new councils from signing up to the system:

"the current system has eroded trust in how parking fines are issued ...

Providing immediate notification to drivers is the right thing to do and is an important first step to restoring community trust in the administration of the fines system. I believe these common sense changes ensure the parking fine systems function in a fair and transparent way and meet community expectations.”

No ANPR ticketing in NSW then.  Good! Someone has seen sense.

Coupon-mad

HMRC loses NHS case over VAT on parking charges 

https://www.accountancydaily.co/hmrc-loses-nhs-case-over-vat-parking-charges

This isn't about PCNs, which (so far) don't attract VAT.  It's about VAT on parking fees.

And it's ONLY relevant to NHS Trusts, due to their status as public bodies.

HMRC has lost a landmark case against an NHS Foundation Trust, which affects 50 other related cases, costing the tax authority an estimated £70m

The case at the Court of Appeal was brought by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, after failing at the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) and Upper Tribunal.  The Trust argued that it was exempt from paying VAT according to the Principal VAT Directive (PVD) and the Value Added Tax Act 1994 (VATA).

The first appeal was brought in 2017 and related to three years of HMRC charging the Trust VAT at the standard rate of 20% on its car parking fees from 2013 to 2016.

The outcome of the case is only relevant when the Trust itself is operating the car park, and not outsourcing the management of the car park to a third party. 

Coupon-mad

Where have we heard this same old Jackanory before?

New rules at Toby Carvery car park as ANPR cameras installed

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/new-rules-toby-carvery-car-9144453.amp

"Signage in the car park and in the entrance area, together with prompts from our serving team, will ensure guests visiting us will be able to park free of charge by registering their number plate when they visit. We hope overall this measure will be welcomed by residents and guests to ensure that parking on our premises is only used by our guests and not casual visitors out of hours.”

"It follows 'anti-social behaviour' issues on the Congleton Road car park."

Course it does...

Nellymoser

Pensioner Stanley Luckhurst says he is disappointed by a lack of support from his local MP Joy Morrissey for his campaign to hold 'cowboy' parking companies to account. And that no progress has been made following communications with Jacob Young Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for DLUHC.
https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/24175172.gerrards-cross-man-takes-private-parking-companies/ 

The 85-year-old said: “It is now five years since the 2019 parking code of practice was passed and companies like Excel Parking are still enjoying ticketing fines well in excess of £1 billion a year.

“There is no sign that the statutory requirement to launch a new Private Parking Code will materialise before this parliament is dissolved and the code becomes extinct.

“There is every sign that the DLUHC will continue to kick this can down the road – making them complicit with the greedy parking cowboys.”

Stanley's is demanding the re-launch of the Private Parking Code of Practice by 30 April 2024 before dissolution of the current parliament, his petition has so far collected 978 signatures.
https://www.change.org/p/last-chance-saloon-fight-the-parking-cowboys

Nellymoser

TfL is bringing in experts to work on replacing the ULEZ, LEZ and Congestion Charge with one fee to drive in London. 

The Mayor of London also wants to take control of road tax payments from the Government

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mylondon.news/news/transport/tfl-working-experts-replace-ulez-28785685.amp

Coupon-mad

Richard Bown parked on the road outside the Costa Coffee in Broadland Business Park to investigate a noise coming from beneath his car... the coffee shop was closed at the time and he was there for just a few minutes with the engine running and the lights on. 

After finding that the car was safe to drive, he left, only to later discover he had been issued a parking fine of £100 - calculated at £20 per minute he was stopped. 

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/24179150.norwich-driver-hit-100-fine-stopping-costa/

He added: "Having spoken to the Costa manager and the managing agent of the land, both agree that this fine is unfair.  I have repeatedly asked for my circumstances to be taken into consideration but have been banging my head against a brick wall with this company."

This is parking management, according to National Parking Enforcement Limited

The IPC must be soooo proud.

Coupon-mad

In similar news:

National Parking Enforcement Ltd AGAIN:

£170 fine for 1-minute stop at Earlham Road shops in Norwich

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/24176857.170-fine-1-minute-stop-earlham-road-shops-norwich/

An 81-year-old man has been handed a whopping £170 fine after pulling into a car park for just over a minute.  His August 10 trip last year involved Mr Steele, who lives nearby, pulling into the lower car park where he found no spare spaces.

Due to restrictive mobility issues, he was unable to get out of his car easily.  With the engine still running, Mr Steele sat stationary, wound his window down and asked a passer-by to post a letter for him, then promptly left the car park.

Mr Steele said: "I've struggled to pay the fine as I'm on the state pension.  I've only just been able to pay it today after being threatened to take me to the county court (March 8)."

JEEZ IPC - are you proud of this crap?.  

Coupon-mad

A TAXI driver has complained of "daylight robbery" after being fined £170 for briefly stopping in a parking bay, saying he is being threatened with debt collectors.

Nerinder Singh claims that he only stopped on the quiet residential road for the "three or four minutes" he needed to read the "essay" length parking signs.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/furious-taxi-driver-claims-daylight-32341341.amp



The cabbie, from nearby Radcliffe-on-Trent, has slammed Nforce Parking Management, which manages the site, as "unscrupulous".  Even worse, he claims that the charge increased to £170 as he refused to pay while the appeal was processed.

He also alleges that the firm has threatened him with debt collectors if he doesn't pay up.

Nforce Parking Management has been contacted for comment.

The story also appears in other rags and apparently he actually PAID one that he got from somewhere else...

...yep. He just paid one.  Like it's a real fine.  Seems he thinks he has to pay unregulated private parking charges.  It's not uncommon.  Do people forget how to Google when faced with a scam PCN?

Hang your heads in shame, Glow Tanning Salon.

Not only for being a tanning salon (pushing a service that no-one in their right mind should be subjecting their body to) but also for letting NForce rip people off.

Umkomaas

Looks to be a 100% self ticketing operation. Possibly a tanning studio staff member popping out with their iPhone while their customers were frying.

https://www.nforceparking.co.uk/

pinkelephant12

Private parking firms issue 35,000 fines every day

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/15/private-parking-firms-issue-35000-fines-every-day/

This article appears to be about today's 5th anniversary of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, but it's behind a paywall. Can anyone access it?