Parking stories in the News/media

alanjuk

Coupon-mad said:

Thanks!

Can we see an image of the signs please?

Is it ParkingEye?

                

Coupon-mad

alanjuk said: 

Coupon-mad said:

Thanks!

Can we see an image of the signs please?

Is it ParkingEye?

                

Thankyou. ParkingEye then, as suspected.

Here is Group Nexus doing the same thing to disabled patients at another hospital by requiring them to 'scan their blue badge' (how exactly is this discriminatory and intrusive data processing legal in these circumstances?

Couple hit with parking fines in error at Russells Hall Hospital

https://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/25744219.couple-hit-parking-fines-error-russells-hall-hospital/

Roy Sanders frequently drives his wife, Judy, to appointments at Russells Hall Hospital for treatment for COPD, but, while the couple have been navigating her terminal diagnosis, they have also had to battle with the firm that manages the hospital’s car park after being issued a series of fixed penalty notices in error.

With his wife a registered blue badge holder, Mr Sanders registered their car with the Nexus Group online after the hospital car park implemented automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) software as part of parking changes last year.

Blue badge holders are still entitled to free parking, with the 73-year-old retired policeman saying he “followed all the steps” to register online in June 2025. He said he even scanned the blue badge in the car park to confirm it had been set up, and the machine confirmed "no fee would be required".

He got three PCNs in the post, which he appealed and contacted the complaints team at Russells Hall to try and get to the bottom of what was going on. “Both people I spoke to were lovely, but mentioned they had received a lot of complaints regarding the car park. One person even used the word ‘phenomenal amount’.

“Nexus was completely unapproachable and, if a more vulnerable person had received these, I believe they would have paid them out of fear – it’s not nice to receive a fine in the post.”

Coupon-mad

Airport drop off rip off fees have gone up:

https://www.coastfm.co.uk/news/business/london-heathrow-gatwick-city-and-bristol-airports

If we were as rogue as the parking industry, it's got to the stage where some people might say just don't pay it, because these PCNs are a pushover to win and pay nothing.

But that's not our ethos. People should pay the landowner's fee. Just not parking (or drop off) invoices.

Nellymoser

Anyone interested in responding to Scottish Govt consultation on

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Levels for Decriminalised Parking Enforcement

Closes 30 Jan 2026

1. Do you agree or disagree that the current maximum levels for PCNs, currently set at £80 & £100 (reducing by 50% if paid within 14 days) are appropriate?

2. Which of the following four options would be your preferred choice:

a)  the current level of £100 (reducing to £50 if paid within 14 days);

b)  £120 (reducing to £60 if paid within 14 days);

c)  at a (potentially different) level set independently by each local authority; 

d)  something else, please provide an explanation.

3.  Option C for question 2 would mean removing current Scottish Ministers guidance on maximum PCN levels, leaving each local authority to set their own maximum levels independently. Do you anticipate any positive or negative effects should option C be implemented?

https://consult.gov.scot/transport-scotland/penalty-charge-notice-levels-decriminialised-parki/

It's difficult to be convinced by the arguments when there's online media reports like this:

"Scots councils have been slated for treating motorists as "cash cows" after profits from parking charges and fines soared to more than £47m last year."

"A total of 13 local authorities raised more money from parking than they spent on managing the parking system."

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/motors/14326362/scotlands-councils-parking-fines-cash-cow-drivers-hammered/

Coupon-mad

Nellymoser said:

Anyone interested in responding to Scottish Govt consultation on

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Levels for Decriminalised Parking Enforcement

Closes 30 Jan 2026

1. Do you agree or disagree that the current maximum levels for PCNs, currently set at £80 & £100 (reducing by 50% if paid within 14 days) are appropriate?

2. Which of the following four options would be your preferred choice:

a)  the current level of £100 (reducing to £50 if paid within 14 days);

b)  £120 (reducing to £60 if paid within 14 days);

c)  at a (potentially different) level set independently by each local authority; 

d)  something else, please provide an explanation.

3.  Option C for question 2 would mean removing current Scottish Ministers guidance on maximum PCN levels, leaving each local authority to set their own maximum levels independently. Do you anticipate any positive or negative effects should option C be implemented?

https://consult.gov.scot/transport-scotland/penalty-charge-notice-levels-decriminialised-parki/

It's difficult to be convinced by the arguments when there's online media reports like this:

"Scots councils have been slated for treating motorists as "cash cows" after profits from parking charges and fines soared to more than £47m last year."

"A total of 13 local authorities raised more money from parking than they spent on managing the parking system."

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/motors/14326362/scotlands-councils-parking-fines-cash-cow-drivers-hammered/

Thanks! We should all reply to this.

@Old_Slobberchops

Even English drivers as we may drive when visiting Scotland.

We should point out that the DFT rejected an increase in local authority PCNs last year (outside of London) such that E&W remains at £70/£50 and there is no evidence or reason to suspect that is not an adequate deterrent.

The plans for increase in Scotland have no justification whatsoever.

Jenni_D

Done. 👍 (more chars)

Car1980

Coupon-mad said:

emcwill said:

Coupon-mad said:

Next up:

Oxford John Radcliffe hospital parking dubbed 'confusing' with £100 fines

https://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/25740477.new-oxford-john-radcliffe-parking-dubbed-confusing/

Can anyone paste the article here? I can't read it but found on FB that staff members are falling victim.

(I use https://www.textise.net/)

A disabled hospital user says he was made to walk a long distance to verify his parking under new rules at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Under the new rules, Blue Badge users must now scan a bar code at a parking kiosk machine and enter a vehicle registration at the Headington site.

While parking is still free for disabled people, the rules have been branded "confusing" by Oxford hospital patients and visitors.

Antoni Bajowski said there is an "element of discrimination", claiming disabled drivers are being "targeted by this unscrupulous regime" with its "fractured and confusing rules".

New parking sign (Image: Submitted)

John Radcliffe Hospital parking - submitted picture (Image: Submit)

The Oxford man said he has been given a £100 fine for not noticing the new parking rules and having been caught out.

He said after the fine came through the post, he revisited the hospital to see the rules.

"The new rules Blue Badge holders are confusing," the 67-year-old said.

"During a visit you must now take the permit to a payment kiosk and scan the barcode to get free parking.

"But as far as I know or could see there is no payment kiosk. I'd expect it to be manned but there was nobody.

READ MORE: What next after royal Crown Estate buys farmland for £17m?

"I spoke to another driver who was parked in front of the new notice and he was as confused as I am.

"There are no signs saying 'beware of the new rules implemented'. The reference to the kiosk is puzzling."

Mr Bajowski then went inside the hospital and was told to walk a "very long distance" towards a desk away from the main entrance.

"I was forced to walk a very long distance to another desk with people behind it and explained the confusion," he added.

John Radcliffe Hospital (Image: Oxford Mail)

Antoni Bajowski with partner Linda Phipps (Image: Submit)

"Eventually I gave the registration number and said 'what do I do at the weekend?' She said 'you have to email details over'.

"Fortunately, I have a PC so I am able to do that but I know some elderly people who do not have access."

Mr Bajowski was at the hospital for an appointment for his partner Linda Phipps, 67, who cannot walk due to her cardiac condition.

"You can't expect disabled people to walk that far to the desk to sort out their parking," he added, referring to the long walk to the desk from the car park.

Paul Shead, deputy chief estates and facilities officer at OUH, said: “We’re sorry to hear of this visitor’s experience.

"We are planning to update the signs on our parking payment machine kiosks to make it clearer where people need to scan their blue badges.

“Anyone with a blue badge needs to scan their badge bar code at one of our parking payment machine kiosks and enter their vehicle registration number. They can then drive in and out for up to six months after the initial scan.

“If someone has received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) that they think is incorrect or inappropriate, they can appeal it – details of how to do so are set out in the PCN letter they receive.”

ANPR has been operating at the John Radcliffe, Churchill, and NOC visitor car parks for over two years. All spaces are now covered by ANPR, hence the change around scanning blue badges

If a Blue Badge holder needs assistance, they can telephone the Travel and Transport team via the switchboard, 0300 304 7777

In addition, some departments and areas can input this blue badge data as well, and other departments can email on behalf of our patients – OUH has ask that people speak to the team they’re visiting to ask for help

Thanks!

Can we see an image of the signs please?

Is it ParkingEye?

Yet again this shows the brand new bright idea of what ANPR firms call 'bay monitoring' which forces disabled people to take extra steps and makes it more likely that disabled people will get postal PCNs (which means the PPC has processed 'special category data' for unjustified reasons without the required double justification for this category of data).

This is in clear breach of the DPA 2018, the ICO Code of Practice for Surveillance cameras and the Equality Act 2010.

It's also a misleading omission and/or misleading conduct under the DMCC Act 2024 because there is no 'kiosk' adjacent to the accessible bays and no (reportedly) no signs warning of the change & extra requirement.

We saw this first last year:

APCOA
Breach of Equality Act: unexpected burden on disabled people to take extra steps than just display a Badge. Victim says: "any user needing disabled parking must register on a web portal. No signage at the station re this change"
#1
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6610282/apcoa-southeastern-penalty-notices-and-blue-badges/p1

#2
Same Equality Act breach & DPA breach. Monitoring disabled bays remotely (because it's cheaper & generates more PCNs) instead of on foot, fails the 'special category data' robust data justification:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6612576/apcoa-pn-issued-at-southeastern-rail-car-park-blue-badge-not-registered-at-blue-badge-portal/p1

The remedy (to make this fair/legal) is this:

a). If ANPR firms want to carry out what they call 'bay monitoring' they must provide working 'blue badge scanners' placed directly at all accessible bays (ideally on a bollard at every bay) with massive signs, alerting drivers that they must do more than merely display the badge.

b)  Signs must also tell disabled persons how to claim their free parking rights if they do not have a Blue Badge but are transporting a person who has a mobility, sight, stamina or other medical condition or mental impairment (those persons are just as entitled to a 'reasonable adjustment' - i.e. to use an accessible bay in private land, especially at a hospital). Maybe by scanning a letter or asking staff at a desk inside the premises.

c)  And there must be a clear GDPR message (separate sign)) about data processing at those bays, including how they use, process & store Blue Badge data, as well as the justification for obtaining special category data rather than monitoring accessible bays more fairly, on foot.

I find it shocking that they are 'scanning' Blue Badges at all. Who says they can?

This is new and unchecked conduct; it has slid in completely unannounced. What database are they getting access to, bearing in mind the Blue Badge Scheme is ring-fenced data for Councils only? Where is the justification for no longer monitoring accessible bays fairly with 'eyes on' and an overarching requirement to deter misuse and positively enable access for people who need the bays, not make it so hard to comply that they penalise those persons? 

I believe accessible bays are so sensitive that the MHCLG should in fact state that bay monitoring can only be on foot with a person (who is not required to issue x number of PCNs per day) fairly overseeing the accessible needs of persons at hospitals and retail parks.

This would avoid excessive PCNs, harassment of disabled people and unnecessary processing of 'Special category' data which is protected for good reason.

A Blue Badge is data relating to the health of the named person.

UK GDPR carries a requirement for both a lawful basis under Article 6 and a specific condition for processing under Article 9 (i.e. double justification) and this is reflected in the new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. This stems from the DPA schedule 1:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/schedule/1

All of the above is currently being ignored in the race to automate all monitoring to camera surveillance and to get DVLA data unfairly. We will see more articles like this and we all know that many old people will just pay.

Almost certain their legal department, maybe even an external company based elsewhere, knows nothing of the situation. It'll all be an Estates and Management job.

An email to the right person in legal explaining they are very legally exposed will send them into a panic.

Coupon-mad

Looks like this is a minor keying error case but once it's in the hands of a DRA, it seems the Joint Code (industry joke) doesn't apply:

https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/25751621.gwynedd-man-entered-wrong-registration-number-fined/

In this case it's Initial Parking with a reportedly common issue and dodgy keypad. Their Trustpilot Reviews tell a common story of machines that don't work and especially, keying errors:

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.initialparking.co.uk

Wonder what causes that, eh?!

The MHCLG must make it clear when the statutory CoP and Conformity Assessment framework comes in, that any case with facts established (even late) that would have been cancelled under the appeals charter - e.g. keying errors and slipped permits or blue badges - MUST still see the PCN cancelled.

That's fair resolution.

Something that the rogue parking industry don't want but I'm determined they will get.

Humdinger1

Thank you @Coupon-mad on behalf of a grateful nation for everything you continue to do.   You're a shining light in the darkness that others seek to impose. Humdinger 

Nellymoser

Shopping centre landlord intervenes and cancels driver's pcn after G24 and the IAS both refused to accept the man's appeals. 

Tony Higson was issued pcn after his mother-in-law, who is a blue badge holder, suffered a flat battery at Crown Glass Shopping Centre, Nailsea.

Tony drove to the shopping centre to help out his relative, which landed him a £60 charge from G24, which increased to £100 after two weeks of non-payment. This resulted in a dispute that took over three months to settle.

https://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/25750455.nailsea-man-claims-parking-fine-13-minute-stay-discriminatory/