Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

This is new. Timely work by the RAC:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/private-parking-firms-urged-come-230100622.html

"The private parking industry is being urged to “come clean” over the likelihood of a driver getting an unfair ticket withdrawn. Boosting transparency would either show how bad the situation is or give drivers confidence that complaints are dealt with reasonably, the RAC said.

Analysis by the motoring service company found the two appeals bodies used by unhappy drivers only publish very limited data, some of which is out of date.

Parking on Private Land Appeals (Popla) is yet to publish its annual report for the year to the end of September 2024, while the Independent Appeals Service (IAS) has released its 2024 report but fails to reveal how many appeals were allowed or refused.

The last time the IAS published this information was in 2021/22, when 94% of cases were found in favour of parking operators, according to the RAC."

ParkingMad

Comparing the BPA AOS census figures for 2023 and 2024-





Assuming £60 as the discounted rate and £100 as the full rate;

In 2023 4.84 million PCNs were paid without appealing. Total paid £326.3 million.

In 2024 5.23 million PCNs were paid without appealing. Total paid £349.7 million.

Castle

ParkingMad said:

Comparing the BPA AOS census figures for 2023 and 2024-





In 2023 4.84 million PCNs were paid without appealing. Total paid £326.3 million.

In 2024 5.23 million PCNs were paid without appealing. Total paid £349.7 million.

Some quick maths shows that these payment figures are based on every PCN being £100 with a discounted figure of £60-clearly that can't be true.

(They seemed to have missed out the PCN's which are paid after it has been sent to the DRA's).

ParkingMad

Yes, they haven’t mentioned any figures for cases still unresolved after POPLA.

Umkomaas

99.7% of parking events at our members' ANPR car parks do not result in a parking ticket

Oddly, that's exactly the same figure quoted by the IPC ('compliant motorists' as regurgitated frequently by WH). I'd like to see how that is broken down and the criteria used in determining what (and how) is counted. Quote 99.7% enough times from both sides and it soon becomes the accepted norm. Who in Govt is challenging this?

Car1980

52% of appeals to the operator were successful?

Boll
ocks.

LoneStarState

Car1980 said:

52% of appeals to the operator were successful?

Boll
ocks.

I immediately thought that too.  Probably includes landowner cancellations that should not be included in that headline statistic.

Pro forma results of the GIAA audits for BPA members would immediately put that false statistic to bed.

But also.......over half of appealed PCNs that are mainly keeper requests are cancelled by the operators?  Wonder what reasonable cause they had other than being a BPA AOS member.

Coupon-mad

Pregnant mum fined £170 after car breaks down in Metrolink car park

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/pregnant-mum-fined-170-after-32170801.amp

A pregnant mum says she was chased by bailiffs over a £170 car parking fine for breaking down at a Metrolink Park & Ride. She contacted Metrolink customer services because she assumed they would see reason but ‘they said they do not have the authority over appeal decisions made’.

Robyn added: “How can they outsource parking to companies and have no accountability over those firms, and see if Ocean is doing its job?”

But PLAN A (and the press) struck again:

However, after the Local Democracy Reporting Service raised Robyn’s case with Transport for Greater Manchester, Metrolink’s parent organisation, they intervened to tell Ocean Parking to cancel the fine.

A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for any upset the fine has caused and while the restrictions are in place for good reason, we do believe that some discretion should be shown in exceptional circumstances, such as this case."

Coupon-mad

What could possibly go wrong?!

Pay and Display machines to be introduced at Perth health centre car park

Drumhar Health Centre patients park for free, but will have to register on a parking enforcement system.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/pay-display-machines-introduced-perth-35637092.amp

"Patients will be required to enter their vehicle registration number into a system linked to the parking enforcement system which will be located inside the building on arrival. This will validate parking for the vehicle for the duration of an appointment."

A spokesperson added: “These improvements are designed to ensure that patients can access parking more easily, while also supporting staff in carrying out their work.”

Should have Googled the (unnamed) firm or asked other GP Surgeries, such as Yarm surgery:

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=812074820923096&id=100063617558246

Egg on the faces of the Doctors.  And they couldn't stop CEL. Even worse, at first, Yarm Surgery BLAMED the patients publicly.

Coupon-mad

And let's name and shame the Two Rivers Medical Centre in Ipswich - which serves 30,000 local patients with a higher than average elderly demographic and 'requires improvement' according to a 2025 inspection They've also inflicted a useless VRM system.



I could only capture the first half of the article and I see that the PCN was cancelled, which I expect was due to the newspaper getting involved:

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/25347127.ipswich-woman-pcn-escalated-debt-collectors/

They use ParkingEye:

https://www.tworiversmedicalcentre.co.uk/car-park-management-system

And it seems the GP Surgery thinks it's OK to wash their hands of all responsibility:

Parking Eye - Camera Controlled Car Park Management System

"If you’re going to be in the surgery for more than 30 minutes, motorists will be required to enter their registration into the terminal to be entitled to free parking for the duration of their stay. The aim is to improve access for patients attending appointments by reducing the level of unauthorised parking."

Appeals and Complaints Procedure

"Two Rivers Medical Centre cannot request parking charge notices to be cancelled".

Great. Let your patients be harassed by debt crawlers & sued!

Just as shameful are ALL the clueless commenters. My goodness some people are naive about unfair terms and how inappropriate (and frankly unworkable for ordinary patients) a VRM input burden with £100 risk is at GP surgeries:

Wow...