Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Yet another Manchester Airport victim; this time a disabled driver, whose stop should have been free:

Manchester Airport £100 fine for disabled woman dropping off 91-year-old

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/manchester-airport-100-fine-disabled-32208082

APCOA should be ashamed of this system.

patient_dream

The parking industry has upgraded itself from COWBOYS to DANGEROUS ROGUE TRADERS

sidsnoteveret

Interesting article on the BBC website regarding HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Not directly linked to parking but could help explain some of the difficulties some people on here have had with unexpected default judgements and correspondence going missing.

"Courts service 'covered up' IT bug that caused evidence to go missing"

Part of the article says: Sources have told the BBC that bugs have also impacted case management software used by other courts - including those dealing with family, divorce, employment, civil money claims and probate. (My underlining)

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwye2q00k51o

TomOrrow

sidsnoteveret said:

Interesting article on the BBC website regarding HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Not directly linked to parking but could help explain some of the difficulties some people on here have had with unexpected default judgements and correspondence going missing.

"Courts service 'covered up' IT bug that caused evidence to go missing"

Part of the article says: Sources have told the BBC that bugs have also impacted case management software used by other courts - including those dealing with family, divorce, employment, civil money claims and probate. (My underlining)

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwye2q00k51o

Horrific implications for the court service's "customers/clients/victims"  ... the article may be correct in comparing it to the Post Office scandal. I hope the software developers weren't Fujitsu.

Nellymoser

A Warwick hospital nurse who pays monthly for a parking permit receives 23 pcns from Smart Parking after the hospital's parking cameras were updated. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gj7r28wjeo

She said it's been a nightmare trying to get them cancelled.

She told the BBC "I emailed Smart Parking to say, look, I've got multiple, multiple parking fines, please can you sort this out? I do pay monthly and this is my car registration." 

"They emailed me back a generic email saying that, sorry, none of the parking fines can be discussed individually, so you will have to appeal for each one separately." "So 23 appeals later, I've only got one cancelled so far."

So why such a nightmare for the nurse?

NHS Trust statement said: "We are aware of the issue raised in relation to parking fines issued to a member of our staff. "Our dedicated car parking team has been working with the individual and has investigated the matter thoroughly. Appropriate action is being taken to resolve it."

Smart Parking statement was "We have recently changed some of technology at the site, and unfortunately this didn't pick up that Ms Bates had already paid and so we issued some charges in error. We have now rectified the error in Ms Bates case and have written to her confirming all charges sent in error have been cancelled."

Rectified THEIR 23 x error but only after they wasted the nurse's time, telling her to submit 23 appeals!

Funny how the IPC and BPA (maybe MHCLG too) think certain motorists errors should be slapped with a reduced £20 charge to cover operator's wasted time yet the ATAs don't think motorists should receive a £20 payment from the operator when the operator is responsible for the error and wasting the motorists time.

A point for the consultation response me thinks!

1505grandad

Urgent angry complaint to DVLA if it was me

Castle

Nellymoser said:

A Warwick hospital nurse who pays monthly for a parking permit receives 23 pcns from Smart Parking after the hospital's parking cameras were updated. 

Rectified THEIR 23 x error but only after they wasted the nurse's time, telling her to submit 23 appeals!

Sounds like "A Repeat Offender" (Copyright IPC).

Make it £100 for PPC's errors, reduced to £60 for early payment.

MothballsWallet

Nellymoser said:

A Warwick hospital nurse who pays monthly for a parking permit receives 23 pcns from Smart Parking after the hospital's parking cameras were updated. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gj7r28wjeo

She said it's been a nightmare trying to get them cancelled.

She told the BBC "I emailed Smart Parking to say, look, I've got multiple, multiple parking fines, please can you sort this out? I do pay monthly and this is my car registration." 

"They emailed me back a generic email saying that, sorry, none of the parking fines can be discussed individually, so you will have to appeal for each one separately." "So 23 appeals later, I've only got one cancelled so far."

So why such a nightmare for the nurse?

NHS Trust statement said: "We are aware of the issue raised in relation to parking fines issued to a member of our staff. "Our dedicated car parking team has been working with the individual and has investigated the matter thoroughly. Appropriate action is being taken to resolve it."

Smart Parking statement was "We have recently changed some of technology at the site, and unfortunately this didn't pick up that Ms Bates had already paid and so we issued some charges in error. We have now rectified the error in Ms Bates case and have written to her confirming all charges sent in error have been cancelled."

Rectified THEIR 23 x error but only after they wasted the nurse's time, telling her to submit 23 appeals!

Funny how the IPC and BPA (maybe MHCLG too) think certain motorists errors should be slapped with a reduced £20 charge to cover operator's wasted time yet the ATAs don't think motorists should receive a £20 payment from the operator when the operator is responsible for the error and wasting the motorists time.

A point for the consultation response me thinks!

Only £20? I think it should be like GDPR fines and set as £2,000 per error per staff member involved and then £20,000 per error levied on the CEO of the PPC.

After all, imo, the PPCs we see on this forum act like they only care about maximising profits: perhaps hitting them in the pockets for every single error they make would have an effect on their behaviours?

Coupon-mad

Another elderly disabled person (and his carer) fall victim to Euro Car Parks:

https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/25374002.weavers-wharf-kidderminster-man-disgusted-carer-fined/

Fred Nash, from Kidderminster, says pensioners are being "ripped off" at Weavers Wharf Car Park, which has seen new Blue Badge parking requirements implemented this year. He said that he required the assistance of his friend's carer, Claire Moore to drive him to an eye test at Boots last month.

They said they didn't realise that they had to scan the Blue Badge at the car park, rather than just display it in the car. A few days later Ms Moore received a fine through her letterbox, and paid the £60 charge.

"I didn't know that they changed the rules," she said. "I've parked on Weavers Wharf over the years because I'm a carer for Fred's friend. I just think it's diabolical. I'm expecting another fine. If I knew I would have scanned his badge. I would imagine that week they had a fair few caught out. There's a lot of people struggling as it is without having that on their conscience".

Mr Nash added: "It's totally wrong. I’m absolutely disgusted by it. We were talking to a person who had also had the same problem. There are so many pensioners who are struggling and they've got a fine on top".

Several Blue Badge holders have spoken out after receiving parking fines on the Weavers Wharf car park in recent months following changes to the car park, which is now operated by Euro Car Parks.

What exactly are Euro Car Parks storing from Blue Badge data scanned, and does their privacy policy and the Information Commissioner allow it, given the Blue Badge system is only a council scheme and only real CEOs have a right to inspect badges?

FrankCannon

An ANPR mis-read in Leicestershire ;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9w0e13zkyo

A man was wrongly issued with a parking charge after his car was mixed up with another vehicle with a nearly identical number plate.

Richard Lynn said that on 18 March 2024, he paid £1.70 to park for about 30 minutes in Rushton's Yard car park in Ashby, Leicestershire, but later received a demand for £165 from solicitors representing private firm Horizon Parking.

The 53-year-old said photographic evidence, provided by the company, showed his Hyundai entering the car park - but a Kia with an identical number plate bar one letter leaving nine hours later.

A Horizon Parking spokesperson told the BBC the matter had been rectified when it was brought to their attention. The BBC asked the firm to clarify if that meant the charge had been cancelled, and that potential legal proceedings had been halted, but it declined to say. It said it had written to Mr Lynn, from Ashby, to inform him, but he said he had not received a letter from the company.

"We do make every effort with our processes to issue correct parking charges," a statement from Horizon Parking said. "We'll investigate to see how we can improve, but would encourage drivers to appeal in circumstances where the parking charge may be incorrect, to enable the matter to be resolved at an early stage. Unfortunately, we didn't receive an appeal and the parking charge therefore proceeded via our recovery methods. Once the matter was brought to our attention, it was rectified."