Parking stories in the News/media

Umkomaas

Coupon-mad said:

SABA cancelled a PCN only when a retired journalist complained to the NHS Trust:

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/hospital-patient-given-parking-fine-7410473

But the machines remain broken and the PCNs are still being issued:

“A spokesperson for Saba UK, which manages the car park on behalf of the trust, said: “Terms and conditions of parking are clearly identifiable within the hospital patient and visitor car parks. Failure to adhere to these terms and conditions may result in a Parking Charge Notice being issued.

We can confirm that a cash payment machine at College Road Car Park, which will accept cash and the option for users to make contactless payments, will be re-connected within the next few weeks.”

He later returned to find the PCN had been left on his car. He said: “I had been instructed by my GP to go to A&E with dangerously high blood pressure

And from the ParkWatch press article:

Having suffered minor heart problems previously, Steven said the stress has taken a toll on his health. He said: “It has stressed me out, I sat there the other night, I was laughing and then I ended up crying.

“It is just totally done my head in. I cannot understand why. It is just not right. It makes you think how many people have got that and just panicked and paid it.”

Having suffered minor heart problems previously, Steven said the stress has taken a toll on his health. He said: “It has stressed me out, I sat there the other night, I was laughing and then I ended up crying.

“It is just totally done my head in. I cannot understand why. It is just not right. It makes you think how many people have got that and just panicked and paid it.”

I'm sure all that wouldn't have helped the 'dangerously high blood pressure' nor the 'heart problems' and 'stress'. I'm sure that sooner or later, a catastrophic event will erupt, courtesy of the country's private parking sector!

Coupon-mad

That matches the outcome and comments of the victim in the case mentioned before, where the lady couldn't move her car due to sustaining a serious head injury, and Euro Car Parks effectively said 'tough' and farmed it out to DRA thugs:

"Euro Car Parks, who manage the Morrisons car park in Wellingborough, refused Rose’s appeal saying:

“any medical problems you were experiencing at site on the above date were not reported so no provision could be made, therefore parking charge notice was issued correctly and remains payable”.
https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/relief-as-local-councillor-steps-in-to-get-grans-morrisons-parking-fine-overturned-3794414

"A kind-hearted reader and local councillor stepped in to help Rose with the fine being revoked yesterday. 

Rose said:

 “I really didn’t think it would happen. I have been waiting for someone to knock on my door. I have been living in fear. I’ve been scared to go out in case while I was out they came. They won’t go away and you have to hand over money."

Snakes_Belly

After all the issues with Excel which resulted in them being kicked off Backcester Lane and Gresley Row in Lichfield the new landowners have appointed Euro Car Parks. I can't help but feel that this is going to be out of the frying pan into the fire.

Before Excel the car parks were run by the council and the petition was for it to go back to being council run.  

I certainly shall not be using these car parks and many others who have been ticketed by Excel are not going to use the car parks again even though a new operator has taken over.  Some have said that they will shop in either Tamworth or Walsall and not bother shopping in Lichfield.  Tamworth has a large retail park which is free parking.

Half_way

And back to Cornwall, someone who had been visiting for over 35 years will visit no more.
David Watts Vs Kevin McManus of alliance parking:

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/family-vows-never-return-cornwall-7426072?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Jenni_D

Half_way said:

And back to Cornwall, someone who had been visiting for over 35 years will visit no more.
David Watts Vs Kevin McManus of alliance parking:

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/family-vows-never-return-cornwall-7426072?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

There are some really deluded people who comment on such articles though 🙄

keyboarduser 3 HRS AGO

The charges are there for the upkeep of the car park. The ANPR cameras are also useful for crime prevention, much better than a parking johnny. Fines are generally exhorbitant to cover the costs if it goes to court.

Coupon-mad

Half_way said:

And back to Cornwall, someone who had been visiting for over 35 years will visit no more.
David Watts Vs Kevin McManus of alliance parking:

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/family-vows-never-return-cornwall-7426072?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

I was going to show my age and say:

"Wish I could be like David Watts"...

...but reading the article he is David Watt, so that's jammed that plan!

patient_dream

Not a parking operator by the APP scam 

The parking companies will of course know all about this and PROFIT from it

Motorists being hit by new wave of pay-by-phone ripoff charges - with sneaky extras as much as doubling cost of using a car park in some cases

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-11087093/Sneaky-parking-app-charges-DOUBLE-motorists-bill.html

The chap in this article who went to the cinema where there is a 2 hour limit which is free, thereafter you pay by APP ?

Everyone knows that going to the cinema is longer than 2 hours.

Wonder which evil rogue trader dreamed this up. Knowingly designed to rob the motorist of £100

The movie he went to see was "TOP GUN" which lasts for 2 hours 11mins let alonr all the faffing around buying tickets, getting drinks and popcorn for the kids and then watching adverts for at least 10 minutes

This is a RIP OFF by a parking operator AND A HONEY TRAP

Coupon-mad

Another tourist vowing never to return to Cornwall:
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/man-vows-never-return-cornwall-7439779.amp

That's about Initial Parking and what I found interesting was that the so-called DRA who has inflated the charge by £70 is called i-Debt.

I thought it might be an invention of Initial Parking, but no...it's our old friend Jason Brierley of Debt Recovery Plus infamy and looks like his poor lad Sam Brierley has been dragged into the same line of 'work', aged just 20.  I feel sorry for the poor kid, thinking that specialist' (read: aggressive and pointless harassment) PCN 'debt' recovery letter chains is a normal business to join: 

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13273009/officers

There is also Gary Brierley (senior) presumably from the same family, given that he was also connected to DR Plus from years ago:
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/CYup7DfDqL8oE2uQlq1e1CLr5d0/appointments

And he's a mover and shaker in the BPA:
https://www.britishparking.co.uk/BPA-Service-Boards/BPA-Operational-Service-Board

"Member of the Operational Service Board as a Parking on Private Service Provider Representative September 2017- June 2022".

Oh, and how could I forget Gareth Brierley, DRPLus' Deputy Managing Director?  Here he is rabbiting on about the new DLUHC Code of Practice:
https://www.debtrecoveryplus.co.uk/blog/the-parking-code-of-practice/

One wonders, when are any of these people actually going to do something useful for Society?

Coupon-mad

UKCPS scam at Northgate Retail Park.  The rules were relaxed to allow people to leave the site - to support the community and local business recovery - but (reportedly) UKCPS didn't change the signs and carried on penalising people for leaving the site.

Have we had any UKCPS victims posting about this location in the past 6 months?

https://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/news/get-in-touch-to-have-parking-fines-rescinded-9268431/

The Managing Agents (Banks Long) have now introduced an arbitrary 'deadline' for people to complain by 19th August and after that they won't bother to get involved, it seems.

Banks Long previously said it would refund all fines issued from April 1 to people who had specifically been penalised for going off-site.

They PROMISED this, the newspaper reports.  Now they are silent and hoping it will go away, having 'helped' just FOUR people.

Coupon-mad

Dartford's Priory Centre ruined by an unworkable system shoved in by Premier Park:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/amp/car-park-changes-put-people-off-town-centre-271726/

People are being driven out of the town centre.

This is exactly what to show to the DLUHC because their stance is all about the recovery of the high streets.

The article says:

"A new ticket system means people are being issued parking charge notices for using a car park, despite having paid to use it.

Linda Hammond, who is registered as disabled and has a Blue Badge said: "It is quite impossible to drive round, find a space, park up, get my mobility scooter out of the boot and assemble it, get to the lifts, go down and then maybe queue to get a ticket - all within the 5 minutes allowed."

There are a limited number of disabled bays in the car park, which means that some people may have to park further away from the machines, increasing the length of the ticket-buying process for them.

The car park is frequently used by Sainsbury's customers as there's a branch inside the centre, and shoppers are able to claim their Priory parking money back if they spend a minimum of £10.

But many claim that they would rather shop elsewhere than have to comply with the new regulations.

The car park was formerly run by Apcoa, but after they stopped managing it a new system had to be installed. This system has been live since the beginning of May 2022."

WHY is there any PPC there at all?

What purpose does this crappy system serve; what non-existent problem is the Priory Centre Dartford trying to 'resolve'?