Parking stories in the News/media

knightstyle

https://premium.lincsonline.co.uk/grantham/news/drivers-who-were-issued-with-fines-despite-free-parking-tod-9463695/

patient_dream

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81982220#Comment_81982220

This must be a WAKE UP call for government to introduce a fully independent appeals service to save people from this mega scam operated by the cowboys.

It is also vital that a charge is made to operators regardless of the outcome

Nellymoser

https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/26057781.unfair-parking-fines-disputed-ascot-residents/

Frustrated residents are organising a peaceful protest this weekend over 'unfair' parking fines they claim have been wrongly issued from VARS Technology at Ascot petrol station.

According to the campaign group Ascot Parking Fines, reports from residents are “consistent, repeated, and corroborative,” suggesting a systemic issue rather than isolated misunderstandings.

https://ascotparkingfines.com/#check-applies

Real Experiences - Anonymised reports from local community discussions:

● "My husband received a ticket saying he was parked from 16:20 to 23:50. This is completely incorrect, but they're saying we have to prove the car wasn't there — which we have no way of doing."

● "I had exactly the same just before Christmas — it was because I 'double dipped'. I went once for diesel and then later that evening again. I ended up paying £220 three days before Christmas."

● "They only register the first and last entry/exit — not whether you actually parked. I went in and out, then returned later, and it showed as one long stay."

● "We appealed but they upheld the ticket and said we had to prove it. It feels completely wrong having to prove something you didn't do."

● "I offered to sit down with them and go through CCTV to prove the times — they refused. In the end I had to go into the garage repeatedly until someone dealt with it."

● "The manager eventually called the parking company and confirmed the car hadn't exceeded the limit. The fine was cancelled the next day."

● "They have to show proof from their system — but often they don't. You're left trying to prove a negative."

● "Ask them for their evidence — they have to prove the car was there. There was a lot of back and forth, and in the end they didn't have any evidence."

● "I've heard of this happening before — cameras record first entry and last exit. If you visit twice in one day, it can look like one long stay."

● "We couldn't even find a proper contact — no number, no email. It makes the whole process even more frustrating."

● "The burden of proof should be on them, not you. But it doesn't feel like that when you're dealing with it."

● "It leaves a really bitter taste. We've spent money there for years and then get treated like this."

Oh dear looks we have another BPA member lacking skills in parking management...VARS Technology fails to consider any of the 'ANPR flaws' before issuing pcns and assessing appeals. And of course, wrongfully requesting vehicle keeper details from DVLA when there was no 'reasonable cause'.

Motorists really deserve better parking management from those DVLA ATA members.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-15728593/Drivers-receiving-unjust-parking-fines-poorly-placed-ANPR-cameras.html

Half_way

Who owns the petrol station?

people need to go after the petrol station instead of the PPC.

kryten3000

Asda backs down over free-parking dispute

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0p854zq4qo

Asda "forgot" that their car park is not just for customers. The local council reminded them and signs will be changed to reflect this.

Half_way

Shame the council didnt take enforcement action - either you remove the signs and other such items, or the council will remove them

kryten3000

Darlington Memorial Hospital Car Park described as 'a nightmare'

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/26064282.darlington-memorial-car-park-described-a-nightmare/

Drivers have been parking all over the place, on double yellow lines, verges and footpaths. The "solution"? Install ANPR which famously tracks exactly where cars are parked. 🙄

kryten3000

Sky News Money Live helped this Scottish motorist who received a PCN for a car that wasn't his.

https://news.sky.com/story/this-is-why-you-should-always-check-the-photos-on-a-parking-fine-13537488

In an email sent to you after our intervention, a representative told you the error was caused by a single-digit discrepancy in the ANPR camera system that was missed in manual quality checks.

"We absolutely appreciate that the parking charge should not have been issued in the first instance, and we sincerely regret any distress the error has caused," the email said.

The company has since told us it has reviewed this process to make sure it handles similar cases correctly in the future.

Yeah and if you believe that I have some knitted woollen shower curtains for sale.

Coupon-mad

UKPC reportedly gave someone a CCJ for a double dip case then struck again:

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/26056675.drivers-ludicrous-blackpole-retail-park-parking-fines/

"Chris Allison, who lives just a mile from Blackpole Retail Park, is being charged hundreds of pounds in parking fines after cameras allegedly caught him staying at the site for over 24 hours on two occasions.

However, the Worcester resident claimed both parking fines are "simply not true".

Mr Allison received his first parking fine for allegedly parking at Blackpole Retail Park for 24 hours in December 2024. He had appealed the fine but lost, so he refused to pay the £200 fine.

UKPC then gave him a CCJ - a court order stating you owe money to a creditor - which can severely impact credit scores for the six years it is registered to a person.

He was then handed another parking fine suggesting he had parked at Blackpole Retail Park for more than 24 hours on March 16, 2025. "It is the fact that we had to suffer from a financial point of view," he added. The fact we already have one CCJ, but I am not paying [this new one either] because I have not done anything wrong.

"I am concerned about getting another CCJ and that will cause substantial financial harm.

"They have you over a barrel, really, and any excuse to shaft you, they will.

"It is hard to believe that it is only us being affected. In a way, it makes us not want to go near [Blackpool Retail Park] now, which is a shame as those shops are ones we have gone to for years."

Worcester News has contacted UKPC which has not responded by our publication deadline."

They didn't get a response last time UKPC appeared in that paper, either:

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/25000545.blackpole-parking-fine-legal-case-thrown-last-minute/

#24/7 unrestricted ANPR in the hands of private parking firms: ruining the lives of shoppers, causing CCJs and damaging confidence in the High Street.

The BPA must be so proud.

Nellymoser

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/record-number-of-parking-tickets-quashed-after-appeals-soared-to-107-202-amid-growing-drivers-anger/ar-AA2223Go?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1

Record number of parking tickets quashed after appeals soared to 107,202 amid growing drivers' anger

Half of tickets were quashed on appeal last year, suggesting tens of thousands are being wrongly issued.

POPLA only allowed 14,578 appeals (refused 53,102). A staggering 39,522 appeals were not contested by the PPC.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'You have to ask why parking firms decided not to contest an astonishing 40,000 appeals. 'Are there tens of thousands of cases where they know the evidence won't stand up to scrutiny?

If so, why were those tickets issued in the first place?

Come on Alison Tooze of the BPA let us hear you admit this was the case, tell the public why your AOS members wrongly issued so many pcns in the first place.

https://www.popla.co.uk/reports