Parking stories in the News/media

Umkomaas

SergeiK said:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/drivers-crusade-against-parking-company-after-fine-272881/?fbclid=IwAR2rVMkdapVLnBxC6vj7B_cCHcz68tuZurSNsjgQb12WlErVYuppHnbLrOQ

Interesting article don’t know if it’s seen here yet

Not seen that before, thanks for the link. 

Coupon-mad

A SCOTTISH victim of BPA firm UKPA (new kids on the block?) decides to go public and tell the world who was driving, instead of just Googling it, realising Scotland doesn't have 'keeper liability' until 2024, and (of course) ignoring it:

https://www.largsandmillportnews.com/news/20895853.motorist-fuming-hunting-space-largs-car-park---fined/

He even works for a newspaper but in their rush to fill what was presumably a slow news day with this story, no-one has told him that he couldn't have been held liable:

George, who works as chief photographer at the Greenock Telegraph

...has just blabbed who was driving and has possibly opened himself up to litigation.

Doh!

Coupon-mad

And now to Wales and the never ending story of Park Tawe.

"You don't know what you're doing!" springs to mind but at least (thank goodness) they appear to have binned off the very, very nasty Alliance Parking from at least one of the car park areas.


Background in 2021:

 "Alliance Parking has stirred up controversy surrounding changes over the parking system at Parc Tawe. In November, a new parking system was introduced at the south side of Parc Tawe Retail Park, reducing the amount of time people could park there to a two-hour limit, down from four hours. Centurion Tawe Ltd, which operates the retail park, insisted that customers who attended Odeon, Tenpin, Plantasia or one of the restaurants there would be given extended stays.

But in many cases, the system failed to work correctly, and people were still receiving fines even though they registered their car. Alliance Parking sent parking fine letters out to customers who claimed they followed the system and provided their car registration details on arrival, starting at £60, rising to £100, then £160.

The allotted free parking time was later increased to three hours after a backlash from customers."



July 2022
"MOTORISTS were stuck for up to two hours trying to leave a retail centre car park on Sunday."

Wales Online and Express.co.uk have approached Alliance Parking for comment. They said they were considering switching to just two hours free parking to act as a deterrent. They also added that measures had been taken to alleviate the problems, with increased traffic light intervals, and that all bonafide users of the site would not be fined as long as they provided sufficient evidence.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1647199/Parking-fines-car-park-Parc-Tawe-Swansea-Wales

 

8th August:

"A Swansea car park is no longer free for three hours and people are getting caught out by a new pay & display regime. It is not the first time Alliance Parking has changed the rules there".

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/swansea-car-park-not-free-24562245

This is said to be at 'Prospect Car Park, within Parc Tawe Retail Park'.  It's unclear whether these articles are all about the same car park(?) because now we get this, with no mention of any pay & display regime at all:

End of August:

The rules for parking in Swansea's Parc Tawe south are changing - again

"You'll only be able to park there for two hours instead of three from September 5, but the company behind the retail park has said the change is happening for a good reason.

As of September 5, the car park terms and conditions will be changing, in an announcement made by Eternity Security Limited, which will be taking over the management of the car park from Alliance Parking. However, the changes to the maximum stay can still be extended by using kiosks within shops and attractions, such as Odeon, where a longer stay will be needed in order to watch the full duration of the film."

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/rules-parking-swanseas-parc-tawe-24862134

Umkomaas

BPA firm UKPA (new kids on the block?)

Yep, incorporated just over 12 months ago.  Sole operator with previous links to Hozah (Workman PLC). 

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13577968/officers

About UKPA
UK Parking Administration Ltd is a parking enforcement company based in the UK. We provide efficient ANPR enforcement services for car park owners and operators, including Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) processing, payments, appeals and transfer of liability. We are proud to be a member of the BPA's Approved Operator Scheme, and are committed to providing a fair service.

Seems not to quite understand how the system works yet!  Says enough about their motives though. 

Coupon-mad

Suggestions of sleaze in this report:
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/experts/article-11176079/amp/TONY-HETHERINGTON-Premier-Parking-Solutions-spotlight-again.html

ThisIsMoney reports:  "I do wonder how much money Premier Parking Solutions has made from men who parked behind the shop and were too embarrassed to appeal against the penalty demand when it arrived later." 

Case going to court next month.

Let's hope the Defendant realises that defence is not their only paperwork job, and has remembered to file and serve their witness statement and evidence, such as a pic of the reportedly 'tiny sign' on a wall, inviting customers to park there.

hullensien

@Coupon-mad
Thanks for that
I might drop Tony an email - BaySentry could do with a bit of exposure (apt choice of word lol) about what they have been getting up to in Hull

Fruitcake

hullensien said:

@Coupon-mad
Thanks for that
I might drop Tony an email - BaySentry could do with a bit of exposure (apt choice of word lol) about what they have been getting up to in Hull

If you do, tell him not to use the P-word in his articles.

95Rollers

From the Express - a pensioner visited a Toby Carvery in Hall Green, Birmingham and got an £85 PCN ten days after.

Driver fined £85 for using pub car park despite being a customer - ‘Beware of this!' (msn.com)

The_Slithy_Tove

Coupon-mad said:

Horizon Parking (BPA) are about to unnecessarily infest Ashdown Forest in Sussex:
https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/news/sussex-news/map-shows-44-car-parks-7531324.amp

"Holders of a blue badge will continue to be able to use forest car parks free of charge. Horizon Parking Ltd won the contract to manage parking in Ashdown Forest after the consultation took place."

How is that going to work with ANPR then?

And how are people arriving with cash at one of the 40 car parks going to manage to pay or somehow exempt a disabled driver/passenger, within five minutes or so, when there are NO MACHINES?

"While pay machines will only be located at the Forest Centre car park, there will be various payment options available for forest visitors. These include paying via one of the five apps available, calling the parking company, buying a pass on the parking company's online parking portal or by visiting the Forest Centre during working hours to pay by cash."

What if they walk to the Forest Centre and it's shut, and they can't pay by app? Doubt the signal among the trees is brilliant...

"To avoid misconceptions, Ashdown Forest have addressed how the fees are just for parking, not to enter the actual forest. It is not yet known when the parking fees will begin, but the forest will make it clear so nobody gets caught out."

Yeah...right. 

I predict a disaster of bad publicity for Ashdown Forest and people vowing never to return.

PROVE ME WRONG, HORIZON PARKING.

But I won't visit there ever again.

Didn't realise you'd posted this already, C-M. I started another thread on it: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6384916/ashdown-forest-beware-if-you-visit

I also think it's very sad, as one who grew up visiting the forest, and have many happy memories there.

Don't think there'll be any ANPR (none in the planning application). And considering no machines in the car parks, it's probably because there's no power to run anything.

I wonder how Horizon are being paid. If it's from parking charge notices only, then we will certainly see aggressive practices which will reflect badly on the Conservators. Though the only "offences" on the notices, apart from not paying/underpaying, is "obstructive" parking. Cue lots of miskeying tickets, being unable to run the app due to no signal, being in a different car from what your annual pass covers, slipped disabled badges, and so on.

Coupon-mad

Woman who easily meets the EA 2010 definition of disability due to her mobility and medical problems slapped with £100 parking charge for 11 minute 'overstay':

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/5ft-2in-gran-lands-100-7588929.amp

Why don't journalists lift a finger to research the Equality Act for two seconds to realise that this is illegal and actually make a proper, investigative story of it?