Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Snap! We posted the same thing! 

This is shocking:

Teen Primark worker loses entire month's pay to PCNs. The shop assistant has 5 charges but is expecting another 8 to arrive as he was unaware the car parking where he works had changed.

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25599999.west-quay-retail-park-teen-primark-worker-loses-months-pay/

Further info about the sudden changes:

Westquay Shopping Centre parking stops using paper tickets

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25528994.westquay-shopping-centre-parking-stops-using-paper-tickets/

A spokesman for Westquay said:

"In response to customer feedback and a continued shift in consumer trends, we have been investing in a new seamless experience for parking; a new automatic system where users register their vehicle registration online for automatic payments."

Not quite how Mr Sherriff would describe it ... and it also appears to be driving away shoppers and marginalising (targeting?) disabled and older people who'll just pay up:

This move has been met with some controversy over concerns that it will make parking harder for those without smartphones, who do not use payment apps. One car park user, Vanessa Doyle, said: "I am very disappointed to discover that West Quay shopping have introduced QR code parking payment, which will be soon for all transactions. I feel this discriminates those who do not have a smartphone, or do not trust Apple or Google Pay. A very backward step."

This comes shortly after the centre changed its parking tariffs at its two car parks, Podium and Multi-Storey, to 'simplify' them. In the Podium car park, it now costs £3.50 for an hour of parking, and it increases by £1 for every hour extra to £10.50 for eight hours, and £15 for 24 hours.

READ MORE: Westquay parking price changes: Readers say 'unnecessary'

#private parking ANPR: killing the high street

#private parking ANPR: killing the high street

#private parking ANPR: killing the high street

#private parking ANPR: killing the high street

#private parking ANPR: killing the high street

#private parking ANPR: killing the high street

Coupon-mad

Taxi drivers slam NCP for parking charges at Gatwick Airport

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25535063.taxi-drivers-slam-ncp-parking-charges-gatwick-airport/

Really?

#private parking ANPR: killing the high streets, airports and taxi driver businesses

ChirpyChicken

@Coupon-mad is making up for lost time

Coupon-mad

Sorry if any of these are repeats!

Yet another faulty VRM keypad, it seems, which makes it all too easy to blame drivers:

https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25603234.woman-receives-unfair-fine-using-caernarfon-car-park/

Initial Parking, hold your heads in shame...

Lizzie Wright, 48, from Norfolk, was on holiday in North Wales with her husband Ben when, on October 26, they used Slate Quay car park during a visit to Caernarfon. Initial Parking, then fined her £60 (if paid within 14 days), claiming she had not entered her Skoda's full registration on her parking ticket.

Mrs Wright said she did enter the full registration, and accused Initial Parking of “gaslighting” and using “horrible tactics”.

She said:

“The company can just say that you haven't entered the full registration and we simply cannot prove otherwise, because the ticket didn't print the full registration number on it.

“We purchased a ticket for four hours at a cost of £8.50. On our return home from holiday, we received a penalty notice from Initial Parking saying: 'By not purchasing the appropriate parking time or by remaining at the car park for longer than permitted... the parking charge is now payable to Initial Parking'. As we had a ticket which clearly stated we had purchased enough time, we challenged this via appeal.

“The appeal was unsuccessful, as Initial Parking then changed the basis for the penalty, and said it was because we didn't input the full vehicle registration number, and this wasn't showing on the ticket. They then offered a £20 settlement fee.”

Mrs Wright added: “We live in Norfolk, so we can't pop back to the car park to look at the machine and see if the full registration prints on to the ticket or not.

“I am sure my husband would have put in the full registration if we had been prompted to do so - we have a private number plate, so it is not as if we don't know it.

“This is marring people's experience of holidays in Wales, and we seem to have nothing we can do about it. It feels massively unfair. I haven’t paid the £20 yet, but we feel we have no choice. Most people will pay that just to shut them up.”

The Chronicle has previously reported on multiple other instances of people disputing fines they have received from Initial Parking after using Slate Quay car park.

Joe Mills criticised “unscrupulous” Initial Parking after he was 'fined' last September, while a pensioner from Anglesey said she received a PCN “to my great dismay” at Slate Quay last summer.

Another visitor labelled this fine “absurd”, with it having been issued to him for apparently failing to enter his full vehicle registration.

Vincenza D'Alessandro, from York, came to the town in May, and was fined after using the car park for 50 minutes, having paid for a space there for one hour.

Initial Parking was approached for comment, as were the landowners, Caernarfon Harbour Trust.

#private parking ANPR & crappy keypad traps: killing the high streets and tourism.

The BPA must be so proud.

Le_Kirk

kryten3000 said:

TFL Charges of over £11k after auto payment account suspended.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/nov/04/consumer-champions-london-ulez-auto-pay-blunders-fines

Cannot read the article as it wants me to pay!

Nellymoser

The accusations of "cash grabs" "money making exercises" show no sign of abating.

Record 9.4 million fines slapped on London motorists

Edmund King, president of the AA, told The Times: “...London enforcement that used to be for deterrence is now a money-making exercise for TfL and London councils.”

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/record-9-4-million-fines-154253747.html

Motorists are paying £1 billion a year in road charges and fines incurred while driving in the city, with Westminster the biggest earner, declaring a net income of £90.6 million from £129.4 million of revenue.

TfL generates hundreds of millions a year from road levies such as the congestion charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) and the new Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel tolls.

kryten3000

Le_Kirk said:

kryten3000 said:

TFL Charges of over £11k after auto payment account suspended.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/nov/04/consumer-champions-london-ulez-auto-pay-blunders-fines

Cannot read the article as it wants me to pay!

The Guardian doesn't enforce payment, you should be able to dismiss any pop-up or request to subscribe.

Duke1999

ECP unreasonable Parking restrictions.

https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/25525122.car-park-times-eype-cause-anglers-fish-elsewhere/

Umkomaas

Duke1999 said:

ECP unreasonable Parking restrictions.

https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/25525122.car-park-times-eype-cause-anglers-fish-elsewhere/

 👆 Anglers have deserted a popular fishing spot due to car park restrictions. 👆

Private Parking Firms: Killing the High Street Saving the Fish Population! 🐟🐟🐠🐠. 😄