Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Yep, the other errors are minor stuff and anyway this briefing has existed for years. It's just been updated a bit. It's just an overview crib sheet for MPs and means nowt in the scheme of things.

prowla

Coupon-mad said:

RavingMad said:

Again, be naive, but what do supermarkets/hospitals etc get from using these services? 

Usually just 'free' parking management and they also fall for old spiel about ANPR being 'new tech' which promises them 'rich data' about trends and footfall. They lap it up.

Well, that's a fail for my local retail park - I haven't shopped there in several years now, so my footfall is zero.

Coupon-mad

Another day, another case of an ANPR wielding PPC "extorting money" from disabled drivers. 

Even though the terms clearly look to breach the Equality Act 2010, and nothing would ever happen to enforce this joke 'fine' in Scotland anyway, the victim is stupidly paying it:

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/parking-fines-for-blue-badge-holders-slammed-by-angry-father-380855/

Reportedly, Britannia Parking couldn't be bothered to put extra warning signs at the accessible bays to tell disabled motorists that they now had to pay a tariff at this site.

Yet still the victim is duped enough to pay.

And Britannia appears to not be bothered about replying to newspapers, either:

"Britannia Parking was approached for comment. We received an automated response saying they would reply within a set period of time. That period elapsed on Friday morning with no response received."

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Oh what a surprise, another one involving a disabled person ripped off by a BPA AOS member.

Lots of misuse of the word fine' here. Lazy journalism but that's not the point.

This time it's ex-clampers UKPC attacking a 91 year old Blue Badge holder for having wheels slightly over the the hatched wide edges around the accessible bay he was using. Errm...that's within the bay. There's nothing to say you can't have wheels slightly on the hatched edge of your bay and it is at best, de minimis (and a 'reasonable adjustment' to cut some slack to disabled drivers).

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/25131033.pensioner-threatened-court-parking-fine-appeal-ignored/

"Leslie Ashcroft parked in a disabled bay at Riverside Retail Park while out with his wife. He had to park just over the line in his car, due to the fact that the vehicle beside his had done the same. If he had not done so, he wouldn’t have been able to get his wife and her mobility scooter out of the car.

Despite the fact that he had made several attempts to contact the company and appeal his fine, he didn’t hear anything in response. In fact, he was told if he didn’t pay that he would be taken to court and has been threatened with bailiffs.

"I got a final demand and did the same again, sending copies of the appeal. But nothing happened again and the fine went up to £170."

"I was frightened,” he said. “It’s incredibly distressing to think I could have bailiffs arriving at my door. It’s been a very upsetting time. It’s a big company and I fear for me as the little man. Money is tight, I’m a pensioner. I was only a couple of inches over the line".

The rag continues:

He would have been taken to court if he dd not accept a last-minute reprieve, which told him to pay the original £60 fine instead of the increased fine of £170. He accepted and paid, due to concerns about having to pay legal costs on top of the fine.

UKPC Limited was contacted for comment, but did not respond.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

And another one:

A pensioner faced with having to pay £170 for a parking at a Blackburn hotel has called the amount ‘extortionate’.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/25130457.pensioners-warning-fine-hampton-hilton-hotel/

Google maps shows it's VARS Technology:



Why ON EARTH has this hotel even got ANPR threatening patrons unnecessarily?

How is this surveillance or penalty regime even justifiable, look, it's not exactly a destination of choice and nor is this a busy car park, by the looks of it:



It's a Winter's Tale:

Janet Spencer, 71, of Darwen, visited the Hampton by Hilton in Whitebirk for an appointment to see a specialist doctor in February.

Nobody on reception even mentioned the stupid unnecessary scam keypad. She attended her appointment with no idea about any parking contract.

She exited and is being pursued by a bear.*

*DCB in fact! More of a lion, according to their website. 

Coupon-mad

And another one.

UKPS this time, and 2 articles about how they are ruining a deprived area and forcing retailers to consider closing:

'I've owned a café for 28 years - but might have to close as new problem ruins area'

New parking restrictions are pushing customers away from businesses in the south end of Northfield, adding further stress to already-struggling traders

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/ive-owned-caf-28-years-31547363#google_vignette

and

Northfield parking nightmare as 'everyone getting fines' - from school-run parents to taxi drivers 

A café owner even paid for a customer's £60 fine amid the troubles - which traders say are 'ruining' the town as shoppers venture elsewhere:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/northfield-parking-nightmare-everyone-getting-31540977.amp

"after the landlord for the car park cut free parking for non-customers, even people who stopped there for a matter of minutes - be it lost or dropping a taxi passenger off - found themselves ticketed under "strict curfews".

Well-known Clock Cafe owner Faram Mobed, known as Frank, even found himself paying a 92-year-old customer's fine after his quick pharmacy visit landed him £60.

"A customer, 92, said to me: 'Can I park there?' I said: 'Yeah for ten to 15 minutes', he was just running to get his wife's prescription. He went down the chemist, was straight back. Two days later he says: 'I've got a ticket'.

So I tried to appeal it, but I didn't even have the heart [to tell him it failed], I paid out of my own pocket. I spoke to the Northfield town manager as well. Even he got a parking ticket."

Frank told BirminghamLive: "Given it's got so bad, I've lost a lot of trade. Anyone even driving through the car park, cutting across, they get a parking ticket now...

The customers turn round and say 'sorry Frank, we can't come because we've got a ticket.' To be honest it's come to that stage where I'm thinking, with everything going up, is it worth it? I was thinking you know: 'Maybe I put the shutters down, I'm 68, I'll retire.'"

It's understood the car parking changes, which were made by the landlord rather than the shops themselves, have also been detrimental to tenants Just for Pets and United Carpets.

One family reportedly spent £80 in Just for Pets before walking to the dance school to pick up their daughter, only to receive a fine as the camera picked up the fact they had left the car park.

Anna Williams, co-owner of Willows Dance Company, told us: "Some of the parents now won't shop at Just For Pets because they get a fine. One of my teachers and numerous parents have received £60 fines for periods of parking of sometimes as short as four minutes. If you get lost and pulled into the car park, you will get fined. We have had a lot of people who have had multiple fines... there's not even a grace period of five minutes.

After speaking with Frank it is evident the parking is impacting local businesses in a negative way. Northfield is an underprivileged and deprived area."

What a hotch-potch of signs, too.

What the heck is the 5mph sign and supposed warning picture of a parent & child doing there ... except as a distraction, UKPS? You can't enforce speed limits and these businesses will soon not have any customers left, thanks to you.

PCNs "within 4 minutes" at this site...why?

Excessive surveillance is illegal.

The IPC must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

And this is alarming:

https://europarkingservices.com/future-of-anpr-parking-enforcement/

Automated Enforcement:
"Say goodbye to outdated, manual enforcement methods. AI-powered ANPR automates the entire process, from detecting unauthorised vehicles to issuing charges—all without human intervention."

And whilst that's actually illegal at the moment, the DUA Bill looks set to let private firms dispense with human checks.

Shockingly, as far as I can see there are no defined caveats in the Bill to stop AI extortion by private firms ... with zero human checks.

The info about 'safeguards' looks especially wishy-washy and it merely gives the data subject a right to object afterwards!

https://www.michelmores.com/tech-innovation-insight/changes-to-data-protection-law-introduced-by-the-data-use-and-access-bill/#:~:text=Whilst%20this%20can%20bring%20benefits,special%20category%20data%20is%20involved.

Relaxing the rules regarding automated decision-making

"Automated decision-making is the process of making a decision by automated means, without any human involvement. Whilst this can bring benefits such as increased efficiency, the current UK GDPR prohibits automated decision making other than in a few specific cases. Under the DUA Bill, the current prohibition is relaxed."

That'll cause even more double dip PCNs then. And more keying error ones because no human will be required to check for near-miss VRMs.

I hope the Government know what they are doing because it actually looks like this new legislation will positively enable the worst excesses of PPCs.

This ADM relaxation will enable this rogue sector to churn out even more PCNs with no 'meaningful human intervention' needed.

How is that compatible with the statutory Code of Practice?

patient_dream

Sadly, there are more than a fair numbers of Parking Companies who have turned into ROGUE TRADERS.  Those mentioned above are some of the them.

The BPA A and IPC are both at fault for allowing these rogue traders to operate. When the BPA and IPC were granted ATA status, government never knew that these two clubs (that is what they are), would have a membership of Rogue Traders

The DVLA knows what is happening but why should they care as long as they are allowed to sell personal data at £2.50 a pop

Nellymoser

And here's another landowner bringing ANPR cameras into their car park.

Shoppers face threat of £100 fines from 1st May as ANPR cameras go up at popular Parc Trostre retail park in Llanelli

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/shoppers-face-threat-100-fines-31547562

The retail park has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent years after a difficult spell which saw the closure of many units. They may find themselves having a further difficult spell when the ANPR pcn floodgates open.

prowla

Shops complain that footfall is down.

Shops contract PPCs to manage their car parks.

Shops complain footfall is down.