Parking stories in the News/media

Car1980

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81975928#Comment_81975928

What problem? Nice money maker.

I mean you could reduce the number of PCNs with clarity, but that would reduce profit.

Coupon-mad

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/25968101.charge-issued-man-using-faulty-car-park-ipswich/

A man has spoken out after being hit with a £100 parking fine for stopping in an Ipswich car park despite insisting he paid using a faulty app.

Euro Car Parks, which runs the car park, has been approached for comment.

58-year-old Steve Bays from Colchester, said he had been using Cardinal Park car park regularly when he began noticing problems with the payment system.

He said: "I noticed that on quite a few occasions, the app kept being very slow. You pay on exit, so you go on the app as you're about to leave and it will tell you how long you have been parked there for and how much you owe."

Mr Bays said the issue worsened when the app began freezing during payment attempts. He got unfair PCNs. Although the charges were eventually cancelled, he said the experience left him frustrated.

He described the 'fine' as excessive and intimidating, saying "it's pressurising and bullying".

"I’m not happy with the way they sent me a bill for £100 for something that wasn’t my mistake. “I can’t be the only one this happens to because it’s happened to me three or four times."

On another occasion, Mr Bays was charged £4.20 twice due to an error on the app. Mr Bays also raised concerns about accessibility for older people to the car park.

“Lots of old people struggle with this sort of thing, whether it's because they don't have a smartphone or know how apps work.

I have friends who don't use the car park because of having to use an app."

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Yet more proof that ANPR and apps continue to drive people away from high streets, affecting the income of real businesses.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

I seem to recall we predicted this when this new F1rst Parking ANPR regime at some Welsh beaches started last month:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/news-opinion/wrongly-issued-100-parking-fines-33801096

Yep, it was discussed here in March:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81923361#Comment_81923361

The first unfair PCNs are already landing on registered (exempt) local residents' doormats. No surprise there.

Excessive ANPR and systems that force eligible motorists to jump through hoops ALWAYS generate unfair charges.

ANPR in the hands of private firms is ruining tourism and retail across the UK.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust responds to ‘disgusting’ car parking fines incorrectly issued to staff and patients at West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds

https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmunds/news/hospital-trust-responds-to-disgusting-car-parking-fines-in-9462981/

When will Hospitals learn? 🤨

Why inflict greedy ex-clampers UKCPM on patients, staff and stressed visitors?

"A hospital trust has acknowledged ‘teething issues’ with its new parking system after employees, patients and visitors incorrectly received charge notices.West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust which runs West Suffolk Hospital, said it is working with its parking provider, UKCPM, to resolve problems with the system introduced in January.

Doreen Hammond, 71, of Brandon, was the first patient to contact SuffolkNews after she was issued a £30 fine after attending an appointment at the Macmillan Unit. She registered her blue badge with the new system, as instructed by the trust.

She said she was ‘shocked’ when she received the penalty notice in the post on March 11, almost a month after she attended her appointment on February 17. This left Doreen with only four days to appeal the fine.

As she attends the hospital in Hardwick Lane an average of four times a month, she was left feeling anxious there would be more fines to follow. “It is the last thing you need,” said Doreen, who has COPD and uses two walking sticks. “I was worried right up until I got the letter back saying my appeal had been upheld.”

After posting about the fixed penalty notice on social media, Doreen said she had more than 50 people contact her in one evening, supporting her and sharing stories about similar experiences.

“I am still hearing of other people being fined and I think it's disgusting” said Doreen.“People feel like they have to pay it as they are frightened.”

A long-term member of staff is among those who have contacted SuffolkNews to highlight the ‘serious impact’ the issues are having on those affected, including on staff morale. She said: “We come to work to care for patients, often for very little pay, and are now facing fines worth more than half a day’s wages just to attend our jobs. This is pushing already stretched staff to breaking point, with some considering leaving altogether.”

The employee, who does not wish to be named, claimed ‘literally hundreds’ of her colleagues had received fines and she had not spoken to anyone at work who had not had problems with the new barrier-less system. She has so far been unsuccessful in appealing the fines she received and feels the trust is ignoring the concerns of employees.

“Staff are being left to deal with ongoing stress and financial penalties for issues entirely outside of their control,” she said. “We are not asking for free parking, only for a fair functioning system and to be heard. Right now, neither is happening.”

Hundreds of NHS staff currently held to ransom for hundreds of pounds each. The stress of receiving scary threatograms can (and does) drive some people away from their jobs.

Patients and visitors charged twice and frightened by £100 demands mimicking fines.

The IPC must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Man left stunned when he discovers £100 fine after going for a swim at Manchester Aquatics Centre

The swimming centre bosses say changes will be made.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-aquatics-centre-apologises-after-33776456.amp

"A swimming centre has apologised after disabled customers were fined £100 for parking close to the entrance. Mark Maguire had just finished a lesson at the Manchester Aquatics Centre when he found a ticket on his car. Mark said that it "doesn't make sense" that two bays close to the entrance were for staff instead of service users who need them for accessibility. "Now surely it doesn't make sense to make staff bays closer to the building than disabled bays?

The staff spaces should be further away, and the disabled bays should be like the first five bays like any normal car park. There was myself and another gentleman who had a parking ticket as well. We went into the centre to query it and they advised us that we were parked in staff parking bays."

Suffering with a stroke at five years old, Mark lives with heart failure and said he started swimming to improve his health. He says the design of the ordeal has left him "annoyed" and "stressed out."

"There are signs saying disabled parking spaces, but the other signs are very similar," he explained. "It's very small writing, it's totally confusing."

A Spokesperson for GLL said: "Following feedback at the Manchester Aquatics Centre we are creating more disabled bays which will be closer to the entrance. We have asked our parking contractor UK Parking Patrol Office to cancel this 'fine' and are reviewing the clarity of signage across our car parks. We apologise to the customer for any inconvenience."

Any inconvenience?! It's breaking the law not to make reasonable adjustments.

The IPC must be so proud.

nigelbb

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81976558#Comment_81976558

It also shows utter contempt for your customers to have staff car parking spaces located more conveniently than customer spaces. I seem to recall an episode of 'Troubleshooter' with Sir John Harvey-Jones where he lambasted one company for having the directors' parking spaces right by the front door while customers had to walk from the car park.

Coupon-mad

Drivers receive 48,000 parking tickets a day from private firms - costing us up to £4.8m in fines

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/drivers-receive-48000-parking-tickets-a-day-from-private-firms-costing-us-up-to-48m-in-fines/ar-AA211DSn

"Motorists are being landed with an average of almost 48,000 parking tickets every day by private companies, new figures show - with fines costing up to £4.8million.

Some 13.1million tickets were issued by parking management firms between last April and the end of December last year, according to new analysis of Government data.

That is up by 19 per cent from 11million during the same period a year earlier and represents an average of 47,749 per day.

Some 195 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records in the final three months of last year - with ParkingEye the most active, buying 619,000 records.

The DVLA charges private companies £2.50 per record."

BTW the £2.50 is under review. Parking: Private Sector

House of Commons | Written Answers | Department for Transport | 22 April 2026

Tabled on: Thursday 26 March 2026 Answered on: Wednesday 22 April 2026 Question for: Department for Transport Mr Richard Holden (Conservative, Basildon and Billericay):  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 121409 on Parking: Private Sector, when did the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency last review the £2.50 fee charged for the release of vehicle keeper data; what the outcome of that review was; and when the next scheduled review of that fee will take place. [124214] Simon Lightwood (Labour, Wakefield and Rothwell):  The £2.50 fee for the release of vehicle keeper data is currently being reviewed. If there are any changes made to the fee as a result of that review, these will be communicated at the appropriate time.

Umkomaas

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81976934#Comment_81976934

An increase in the DVLA fee won’t cause PPCs much grief, but from a DVLA point of view, the massive increase in their revenue as a result will give them even more reasons to side with and defend the PPCs’ access to the database!

Coupon-mad

Woman's £100 fine for eight-minute Dorset car park stay

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/26050796.woman-handed-100-fine-eight-minute-car-park-stay/

"A WOMAN was hit with a £100 fine after an eight-minute stay in a car park, saying she was unable to pay despite multiple attempts. Jacqui McKeown was issued with a £100 fine in March of this year, following a brief visit to the car park located behind the former Poole Quay Hotel.

After parking up, Jacqui and her husband made their way over to the machines- which were reportedly broken. Jacqui then attempted to pay through the designated app, Evology, however this was reportedly not working either.

Other people in the car park where also having difficulties, and were trying the helpline number printed around the site. However, Jacqui said that the individual on the other end of the phone advised people that they weren't able to help them with the situation.

After they realised they would not be able to pay, Jacqui and her husband decided to leave and head to another car park, after just eight minutes.

She said: "It's just ridiculous really, one hundred pounds for eight minutes. It looks like a perfect place to park, but you get fined for actively trying to pay."

ParkingEye appear to have cancelled it when the newspaper got involved, saying that the app was working but "we have cancelled as a gesture of goodwill following a further review of the case.”

Yeah, right. Lift that carpet & sweep the dust underneath.

What a useless 'helpline'…

…the BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

Malpas widow hits out at parking company over 'unfair' fine

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/26044947.malpas-widow-hits-parking-company-unfair-fine/?ref=cprfa

The victim is disabled and went to a shop with her carer but there were no spaces free, so she waited for one. At this site, there is up to three hours of free parking but she couldn't park.

"Ms Lewis waited for the duration of time the carer was in the shop, about five minutes, but with a parking space having not become available, they then drove home. Later, however, Ms Lewis received a £100 parking charge notice from New Generation Parking Management."

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She actually thinks she has to pay it (she's offered £10 per month) and the damn newspaper hasn't corrected her or pointed out where she can get proper advice.

The comments are equally clueless.

Shame on the shops/landowner.

#ANPR at shops near you: unfairly rinsing disabled people and ruining confidence in the high street.