Parking stories in the News/media

Nellymoser

Has Croydon Council been getting lessons from PPCs???

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/illegal-yellow-box-junction-makes-154723218.html

London Tribunals has repeatedly quashed penalties issued for one yellow box in Addiscombe Road, East Croydon.

Created in 2017 the oversized box of which half is incorrectly positioned, according to a traffic tribunal, has proved a money-spinner for the local authority.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/london-council-illegally-created-six-ltns-to-make-millions-from-motorists/ar-AA1XBMtV

Six low traffic neighbourhoods illegally created by Croydon Council have been ruled 'unlawful' by a High Court judge.

Following the ruling, Campaign group Open Our Roads (OOR) has said Croydon Council should remove the LTNs and refund all motorists who were fined.

Ralph-y

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr71rng8zz4o

!!!!!! ……..

Coupon-mad

Scared elderly retired Headmistress duped into paying £170 to some scummy solicitor over a VRM machine fault by GXS:

Woman fined in Worthing car park despite buying ticket

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25951175.woman-fined-worthing-car-park-despite-buying-ticket/

"GXS Services have been contacted for comment."

The IPC must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Another UK airport hits drivers with higher drop-off prices to reduce ‘kiss and fly’ traffic

https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/another-uk-airport-hits-drivers-194022456.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIW5MUSbROhh1LVB5_Zuf27NnYYDnwC10DRRdnZRtKeLsQirJBU4L-MJ3a7EHncBbRy38U2YMd7TwQXSNbfW62erm5nk_rrTU2GTfmqoROSvqCA4uM9uTYqSnJv09lsD5RBncn0nVJ8997cX1Y5p3h2UIiXIHF8cG71SfKUORAH8

Stansted Airport increased the cost for drivers dropping off passengers at its terminals.

Motorists stopping for 15 minutes or more will face a £28 fee, while those staying for under 15 minutes will be charged £10, marking a £3 rise from previous rates.

Drivers exceeding 30 minutes in the terminal area risk a £100 Parking Charge Notice.

This follows on from similar price rises for drop-off parking at other UK airports.

In December, London’s Heathrow increased drop-off charges from £6 to £7. It also introduced a maximum 10-minute stay before a £40 penalty applies.

The Heathrow charge also went up by a pound at the start of 2025, which means a 40 per cent rise since the charge was brought in four years ago at. Heathrow says that it is raising the fee to match other leading airports.

Gatwick Airport also implemented a significant increase to its passenger drop-off fee, raising it to £10 which made it the most expensive in the UK. Now copied at Stansted.

Coupon-mad

In better news but of course only offered by a Council, not the scam parking industry:

https://councilnews.dudley.gov.uk/news/two-hours-free-parking-to-be-reinstated

Dudley Council’s two hours’ free parking is returning to all council‑owned pay and display car parks from 1 April.

This much‑loved offer is expected to be hugely popular with residents and traders, helping to boost footfall in the town and support local businesses.

New signage will be installed in car parks from 1st April,  showing the reinstated free parking period and the updated tariffs for longer stays. These include (after the free two hours) £3 for stays of up to 3 hours across all council car parks.

For short stay car parks, up to 4 hours costs £5. For long stay car parks, for stays up to 12 hours have a fixed charge of just £6. Overnight parking on all car parks from 7pm to 7am is free.

Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said:

“We know how important accessible, affordable parking is for our residents and our high streets, and I’m delighted that we are able to reinstate two hours’ free parking across all council‑owned car parks from 1 April, subsidised by Dudley Council.

Nellymoser

Motorists get one hour "grace period" in two NI cities

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6208x95wdvo

Lisburn and Newry's on-street parking spaces gives motorists an hour to return to their vehicles after their parking expires.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins described it as a "boost" for shoppers and traders.

This parking discount scheme was first introduced for a trial period over Christmas has been extended for a further 6mths.

The Minister said it would help "inform better what I do in the longer term". She told the assembly "there are conflicting views as to the best approach, so it is important that we give that opportunity"

The scheme cost Stormont more than a quarter of its 4m revenue from fees and public transport campaigners fear the discount scheme will "incentivise" car travel.

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81931767#Comment_81931767

This should be copied in E&W to help revive High Streets before they are finally killed off. And any such operational guidance changes in future should always be reflected in the Private Parking Code of Practice as well.

After all, the private parking sector will gain massively in terms of clout and hiking up intimidation levels once they can shout 'we are Government regulated', so the rogue sector should be similarly restricted as is seen with local authorities.

Planning permissions in retail areas should be required to allow an hour or two free parking - even overnight - especially if using camera enforcement (CCTV or ANPR) which is otherwise a licence to print money.

And the Deregulation Act 2015 should be updated to heavily restrict private parking camera use (similar to LA rules).

Coupon-mad

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15609915/Shakespeare-birthday-lunch-Stratford-Avon-fined-parking-Northampton.html

NCP ticketer or back office staff typed in the wrong location in 2025 when issuing a 'fake PCN'.

Did they put that error right and cancel it when the 82 year old victim disputed it, as he had done, with evidence?

Did they heck! The article says:

Going back and forth with the company for months, Mr Fogg admitted he wasted a great deal of time attempting to get to the bottom of the PCN.

"My tracks were pretty well covered. I certainly wasn't in Northampton. I have never been to Northampton,' he insisted. 

He even had a hearing at Swindon Crown Court booked in for April 2, which had been referred to Small Claims.

"You reply and they completely ignore any reply you have made," he added.

"I imagine it is computer driven, this series of escalating letter ending in being taken to court. They are just formal letters pre-written for everybody. They don't respond to things."

So, they took him all the way to a court hearing being set then (of course, as ever, after using and abusing the court's time and money) DCB Legal discontinued when he robustly defended & didn't blink.

Coupon-mad

And the articles keep coming. An 81 year old feisty lady is standing up to Smart Parking:

Krystyna gave up after 11 minutes and moved her car when she couldn't get the parking machine to work

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gran-threatened-270-fine-after-36910134.amp

Mrs Allen, 81, from Langley, is doing a history degree at the Open University. Despite writing numerous letters to explain the situation to Smart Parking, which runs the site, Mrs Allen now faces a 'fine' of £270.

She has also received seven debt collector letters and has been threatened with court.

“I am a bit disabled but I’m not totally decrepit,” Mrs Allen said. “I went to pay and tried three or four times, with cash and card, but the machine wasn’t working. I didn’t have a mobile with me, I don’t use one. Two very kind gentlemen confirmed it wasn’t working by trying their own cards. As I’d already been quite a few minutes, they suggested I’d better move my car before I was fined.

I got back in the car and went and parked across the road at the Arts House car park so I could unload my food that I was offering for a singing event at the United Reformed Church next door.

I’ve received seven debt collector letters and they are now asking for £270, and threatening to take me to court. My daughter is worried bailiffs will break in.

I will not be bullied into paying an outrageous car park fine when I am innocent. I will not give in to people like this.

Lots of people just sort of cave in, don’t they? I feel very aggrieved because I must have paid hundreds of pounds for that bloody car parking lot over the years because I would never dream of going without paying. At my age, why would I? Besides, I’m busy, I haven’t got time for this.

I’m not frightened or worried in any way. I’m half Polish, and I have this aversion to being bullied or treated unfairly".

We can all be proud of her!

Shame on you, Smart Parking & DCB Legal.

Coupon-mad

And this one from February reports lots of locals caught out by Initial Parking, such that they have lost confidence and are being driven away from the town centre:

Carlisle: More come forward after incorrect fine at car park

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/25862347.carlisle-come-forward-incorrect-fine-car-park/

Initial Parking, a private operator, runs the site, and several motorists said they received parking charge notices despite believing they had paid correctly. 

One reader claimed they were issued three fines over a short period at the car park. They said: "I still had all my parking tickets, thankfully, as I was submitting them to work. Was able to use them to get the fines cancelled, but I had paid every time with reg entered on the machine."

Another reader said: 

"Oh wow, I got one saying I hadn't paid a while back. With me having ADHD I believed it, so I just paid. I haven't been back in there since mind. I park in the council ones now, using the app, so I know where I'm at."

One motorist wrote: "I got one in that car park, paid for a ticket and was back before time was up, but because I didn't have my registration number on it, which I know I typed in, I got charged £60. So, I decided to appeal it and ended up paying £100. Never parked in there again."

Another reader commented: "I received a parking fine from Initial. I parked in the old Iceland car park. They stated I hadn’t paid, luckily I kept the ticket."

In our previous report, James Carr said he returned to his vehicle well within the paid-for period, but a few weeks later received a fine in the post. 

A spokesperson for Initial Parking said the charge in Mr Carr’s case was issued because no payment had initially been registered against the vehicle. They added: "We have requested our Pay and Display manufacturer, Flowbird, to complete a full investigation and provide a report on why the payment was not registered and sent to us."

Mr Carr said: "It's ridiculous."  

Initial Parking has been contacted for further comment, but has not responded.

The BPA must be so proud.