Parking stories in the News/media

Castle

Nellymoser said:

Hope KCC are being truthful, someone may ask to see records of these twice daily machine checks.

Councils will never find fault with PPCs practice. They rely on income generated by ripping car park users off to plug their funding gaps. 

Which, let me guess, are checked by the parking company.

daveyjp

KCC could easily demand as part of the contract that the ANPR system is linked to the machines.  As soon as the first few letters are typed the pay machine shows the reg which matches the recorded data and this is then selected.  Keying errors then disappear.

These machines exist as I've used them at numerous car parks.

Jenni_D

Does the ANPR implementation suggested in the report contravene how councils are allowed to use ANPR in their car parks? (i.e. they're only supposed to use ANPR to aid parking management, not as a means of enforcement. So implemented as per @daveyjp indicates). So any PCNs issued would be unlawful?

(This assumes KCC own the land where parking is provided - which suggests would be the case if they're also getting a share of revenue).

Thorndorise

daveyjp said:

KCC could easily demand as part of the contract that the ANPR system is linked to the machines.  As soon as the first few letters are typed the pay machine shows the reg which matches the recorded data and this is then selected.  Keying errors then disappear.

These machines exist as I've used them at numerous car parks.

I've noticed (only yesterday) at a hospital car park that despite having numerous ANPR cameras, the pay before exit machines don't actually do a look up - which I thought was odd if the cameras are actually ANPR. This feels like a deliberate trap to capture more motorists miskeying without confirmation of their registration at that stage of payment....every little helps!

Conversely when I used a supermarket recently - with 3 hrs free parking, the terminals were out of action, but i could go on the APCOA site and 'register' before midnight - it asked me for 'any' three digits and despite putting in my whole VRM, it then brought up a list of over 20 full registrations from that day that matched whatever three digits it matched from the entered VRM. - Pretty sure that is a data breach too!

Coupon-mad

Jenni_D said:

Does the ANPR implementation suggested in the report contravene how councils are allowed to use ANPR in their car parks? (i.e. they're only supposed to use ANPR to aid parking management, not as a means of enforcement. So implemented as per @daveyjp indicates). So any PCNs issued would be unlawful?

(This assumes KCC own the land where parking is provided - which suggests would be the case if they're also getting a share of revenue).

No because it's a country park, where Councils argue that the rules are set differently (under the Countryside Act, I think).

Country parks and Housing land can unfortunately both be run as if they are private land, so say Councils who disagree with the Robert Goodwill letter from ten years ago.

inthedepthsofthesea

Bristol Airport and VCS in the news again...

Airport parking fines 'may be unenforceable'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvnrjjnv1o

Lorna Howarth said she was given a "nonsense" £100 fine from car park contractor VCS after she stopped for 56 seconds to ask for directions at Bristol Airport in May.

Legal expert Gary Rycroft has questioned whether the couple did in fact "breach any bylaws" and whether VCS has the authority to enforce the fine.

Bristol Airport and VCS have been approached for comment.

Umkomaas

inthedepthsofthesea said:

Bristol Airport and VCS in the news again...

Airport parking fines 'may be unenforceable'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvnrjjnv1o

Lorna Howarth said she was given a "nonsense" £100 fine from car park contractor VCS after she stopped for 56 seconds to ask for directions at Bristol Airport in May.

Legal expert Gary Rycroft has questioned whether the couple did in fact "breach any bylaws" and whether VCS has the authority to enforce the fine.

Bristol Airport and VCS have been approached for comment.

VCS' position at Bristol Airport appears to becoming increasingly tenuous. Surely the airport can't be putting up with the bad publicity coming their way for too much longer?

Drivad

inthedepthsofthesea said:

Bristol Airport and VCS in the news again...

Airport parking fines 'may be unenforceable'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvnrjjnv1o

Lorna Howarth said she was given a "nonsense" £100 fine from car park contractor VCS after she stopped for 56 seconds to ask for directions at Bristol Airport in May.

Legal expert Gary Rycroft has questioned whether the couple did in fact "breach any bylaws" and whether VCS has the authority to enforce the fine.

Bristol Airport and VCS have been approached for comment.

I've been contacted by a journalist at the BBC about this, he thinks 'this story will run and run'. It's been featured on Points West two nights in a row. Fingers crossed they keep digging and are able to draw attention to these dodgy practices. 

Coupon-mad

Good. It deserves national attention. 

inthedepthsofthesea

Good to see BBC Point West keeping the pressure on Bristol Airport. 

Customers dispute 'greedy' airport parking fines

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g465q1z3jo