Parking stories in the News/media

Le_Kirk

patient_dream said:

Consultation is the new word the Dept of Levelling Up are using for "DRAGGING IT OUT" 

A friend of mine always uses an expression he learned when he worked in Local Government - Consultation: -
Your chance to tell us what you think about THIS but we are going to do THIS anyway!

Tazman1969

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/it-was-very-deceiving-people-caught-out-by-parking-confusion-at-long-buckby-railway-station-4560604

Parking management at it's best 👌  when will companies small & large learn that it's not management it's a money making racket....

Coupon-mad

I mean we all know it, but GB News do come across as easily led, don't they?  Hilarious the way they've fallen for the spiel of the BPA:

"Occhipinti said the repeated attacks on the legality and importance of the work the parking management company carries out every day is an issue.

This is despite the fact that only around 0.3 per cent of parking events result in a fixed penalty notice for the driver."

https://www.gbnews.com/lifestyle/cars/drivers-break-parking-laws-sanctions-incidents-tiktok

Utter codswallop propaganda.

And anyone who thinks the Tiktok guy who pretends he "parks where he likes" isn't likely to be connected to / encouraged by someone in the parking industry is naive, IMHO. 

Coupon-mad

Banbury mother fights to overturn £680 fine after Spiceball car park sign 'mix up'

A blue badge holding Banbury mother has fought for five months to have a £680 fine overturned after a mix up with the parking at the Spiceball Leisure Centre:

https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/transport/banbury-mother-fights-to-overturn-ps680-fine-after-spiceball-car-park-sign-mix-up-4562425

"I continued to do this for six sessions, until I started to get tickets, at which point I went into the Spiceball for an explanation, and they informed me I was supposed to bring my blue badge to the reception and enter my registration into an iPad, which is stored under the reception desk.”

Lisa believes the information on the signs in the car park is not clear enough to visitors, especially considering many blue badge holders will be elderly, disabled, or, like her, keeping an eye on a young child.

In response, Spiceball Leisure Centre manager Graham Bleach said: “I explained to the customer, if she contacted me in the first place the Notice would have been cancelled straight away as she is a blue badge holder."

They were all cancelled by the landowner.  The victim actually thought she was going to court.  Believed the debt demands. 

Smart Parking wrecking lives again.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Dozens of fuming shoppers hit by 'joke' 'over the lines' parking fine at Coventry Tesco car park

Some have said that they will boycott the shop now:

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/dozens-fuming-shoppers-hit-joke-28817263.amp

Dozens of Tesco shoppers have been left fuming after being hit by 'joke' parking fine at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

More than 70 people reported being issued with a fine... by Defence Systems t/a Parkwatch.

Coupon-mad

Call for Evidence from the DFT:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/restricting-the-generation-of-surplus-funds-from-traffic-contraventions#:~:text=Call%20for%20evidence%20description,no%20left%20or%20right%20turn

Seeks views on how to restrict the ability of local authorities to generate surplus funds from penalty charge notices.This call for evidence closes at
11:59pm on 11 May 2024

Call for evidence description

In the Plan for Drivers, the Secretary of State for Transport announced action to address concerns about councils generating surpluses from issuing penalty charge notices (PCNs) for contraventions of moving traffic restrictions including:

• no entry
• no left or right turn
• prohibited vehicles
• unlawful entry into box junctions
• driving in mandatory cycle lanes 

These enforcement powers help free up police time while helping councils to reduce traffic congestion. However, enforcement should be undertaken proportionately and not used as a means to raise revenue.

This call for evidence aims to: 

• gather evidence of current practice to inform possible policy proposals 
• explore options for restricting a local authority’s ability to generate surpluses from traffic contraventions

Discussed in various rags:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/20/councils-profit-driving-fines-lose-powers-mark-harper/

Jenni_D

Social rather than "print" media ... the Blackbelt Barrister covers a parking story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1A8CXUrKY

nopcns

Sounds like the woman made the error of interacting with the debt collectors.

patient_dream

Thanks Jenni, that video  sums up this COWBOY industry

PARKING EYE and no doubt DCBL were involved with all the fake add-ons and then a discontinuation.

Government has severe problems with this and virtually everying else, it's all MOUTH and NO trousers .. a totally incompetent Prime Minister

The public consultation will only work if every motorist in the land completes it . 
It is no wonder that most TORY MP's will be looking for new jobs this year, they should start looking now

Coupon-mad

Another day, another PPC 'scam' article:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/angry-motorist-claims-car-park-28876838.amp

This time it's Total Parking Solutions 'fining' drivers for daring to park at a Cineworld cinema for over three hours, to watch a film that if you add the arrival time, getting sweets/snacks then the adverts too, takes longer than three hours.

This is parking management is it, TPS?

In the same article, another Cineworld (in Llandudno) is denying all responsibility for 'fines' issued by UKPC where yet another completely inadequate 3 hour limit is in place, at a leisure site where people watch 3 hour films and stay for a meal.

Not any more, thanks to UKPC.

Double whammy by BPA firms and - reportedly - Cineworld is putting its fingers in its ears and thinks it's perfectly OK to shift the burden to their customers to spot the hidden VRM keypad on the way in.

Guess what Cineworld?  Not acceptable.  If you want to offer meals and films, these are whole afternoon or whole evening activities and it JUST ISN'T OK to allow ANPR cameras at such a location. Not even with a stupid keypad.  Not OK.

The BPA must be so proud.