Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

We are seeing more of this across the UK.

Here's another ANPR excessive surveillance based rip-off; this time it's Euro Car Parks:

https://www.northernirelandworld.com/news/politics/council/lurgan-motorists-hit-by-unacceptable-fines-after-using-town-centre-car-park-5112299

ECP are apparently ignoring a local Councillor in Lurgan, who is pretty cluelessly calling these 'fines'.

Cllr Haughian explained that his primary concern was for those who had already paid the fines and hoped some could be refunded. The Councillor is tearing his hair out about this attack on local people, and he says:

"This is a recently acquired car park by Euro Car Parks, a large company, and they have taken over the management of this. This has led to a huge amount of fines being issued to local residents who use this in our town centre.

I have attempted to reach out to them on two occasions, and on both occasions I have received nothing back."

One Councillor pointed out that there's no keeper liability in NI and he pointed to the Consumer Council's advice (good on him).

But in a typical Local Council display of utter naivety about these scams, Director of Development, Community & Wellbeing, Paul Tamati said:

“Whilst I’ll not get into the legals of whether you should or shouldn’t pay a fine, what I will say is that our Economic Development team will be in touch, and we’re going to try and see if we can get some improved signage, and work through the issues that [have been] raised,” he said.

“We will try to get hold of the company that currently manages that car park, and get some further clarity on those queries.”

Good luck with that. Is that all they can offer to protect 'community and wellbeing?

It completely misses the point:

Excessive and unjustified ANPR is ruining high streets and shopping parks and all most Councillors and some MPs can think about is 'lets try chatting to them about improving the signs'.

It's not just about signs!

If a pickpocket was operating in an area would that all be OK as long as he/she put up some warning signs on walls?!

The BPA must be so proud.

Half_way

I would =never condone damaging private property, but a bin bag carefully placed so it does no damage can help an ANPR system more people should do this.

As for Double dips, any instance of this should result in the PPC - and any other companies its directors are associated with being denied access to the DVLA database

Coupon-mad

Half_way said:

I would =never condone damaging private property, but a bin bag carefully placed so it does no damage can help an ANPR system more people should do this.

As for Double dips, any instance of this should result in the PPC - and any other companies its directors are associated with being denied access to the DVLA database

I think we are going to have to encourage companies like the RAC or AA - and maybe MPs - to make use of the CMA's robust new powers under the DMCC Act.

Individuals can't make complaints about misleading commercial practices but companies can and we need to lobby that MPs and the Scrutiny Board and Single Appeals Service MUST regularly report PPCs to the CMA.

We could start with reporting double dips ... but we'll need to know which door (company? MP?) consumers can use in future, to report the VERY worst conduct.

Things all changed on 6th April. The CMA now has clout that it didn't have before and they can fine rogue companies who breach the CPUTRs since that date.

Snakes_Belly

Coupon-mad said:

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.

It would be so stressful for a 91 year old to go to court yet I bet the claim would have been dismissed.

LoneStarState

Will Hurley trotting out a barefaced lie.

Parking companies ‘don’t want’ to ticket drivers, says industry head | The Independent

Not only do these companies really really not want to issue tickets the "vast majority of money that comes in in (sic) the parking industry comes from people paying for parking".

Don't think there is a single PPC that generates more revenue from payment of parking tariffs than they do issuing PCNs

Such a confident level of deceit is shameful really.

Nellymoser

Yes Mr Hurley's lies are certainly adding to PP industry's problems and shows how poorly the IPC and BPA have performed as an ATA.

I thought what people paid for parking went to the Landowner and revenue raised from pcns stayed with PPC unless contract states the Landowner receives a % of pcn revenue.

prowla

LoneStarState said:

Will Hurley trotting out a barefaced lie.

Parking companies ‘don’t want’ to ticket drivers, says industry head | The Independent

Not only do these companies really really not want to issue tickets the "vast majority of money that comes in in (sic) the parking industry comes from people paying for parking".

Don't think there is a single PPC that generates more revenue from payment of parking tariffs than they do issuing PCNs

Such a confident level of deceit is shameful really.

I thought it had been established in court that their business model was based on a revenue stream from issuing PCNs?

Coupon-mad

It's clever use of words:

"the vast majority of money that comes in in (sic) the parking industry comes from people paying for parking".

That isn't actually saying that the industry retain that part of the money.

I suspect that Hurley has also knowingly included money that 'comes in' to APCOA and NSL purely in their capacity as agents for several councils, where they are acting in a paid 'service' capacity. In that case, council PDT fee income temporarily 'comes into the parking industry'.

Similarly with hospitals. Lots of money goes through a PPC's books but doesn't get retained as their profits. 

Counting those fees that they process across the UK undoubtedly skews the figures.

And of course, not everyone is daft or frightened enough to be tricked into paying private parking charges, so no money 'comes in' for a few million of the c16 million PCNs issued.

Coupon-mad

Articles are coming in about the backbench debate yesterday, jointly led by Newton Abbot Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley and the Labour MP for Derby South, Baggy Shanker.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr4n40wn40ro.amp

'Enough is enough'

Baggy Shanker, who called the debate in Parliament's Westminster Hall on Tuesday, told MPs that local people are "fed up with parking companies unfairly pocketing their hard-earned cash".

https://www.radioexe.co.uk/news-and-features/local-news/mp-demands-action-over-outrageous-parking-firms/

Martin Wrigley said he had spoken to a ‘whistleblower’ who used to work for a private parking company, and had heard a number of complaints from people in Newton Abbot.

“They have created a culture of “charge first, think second” and their default position is to refuse appeals,” he said. “They also use equipment that is designed to be awkward or even to fail, such as machines that will not take cash or card payments, and then they deny appeals, arguing that drivers could have paid by app.

“Other tactics include deliberately targeting people who do not respond to their threatening letters, which are often issued with the wrong address or similar, and selecting them for court action.

“There is also a constant use of trumped-up bailiff charges, many times the price of a normal parking fine.”

Mr Wrigley also asked why private parking companies were able to use hidden 360 degree/night vision cameras to film entire streets and houses round the clock when councils or the police would never be allowed to do so.

-----------------------------------------

Well done to Baggy and Martin, and all the other MPs who queued up to be heard.

Coupon-mad

Also, it came to light in the debate that insurance company Churchill's data said it was on course to make 15.4 million requests to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for vehicle records this year:

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2025/05/07/parking-firms-are-running-a-racket-in-this-country-shropshire-mp-makes-call-over-debt-recovery-fees/

It is amusing that Mr Hurley* replied: "I agree completely. The £70 uplift that the recovery firms are charging is indefensible."

*not Will...