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Parking stories in the News/media
Comments
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Mobile connectivity issues in car parks have become increasingly problematic, with a national study by Vodafone revealing that 70% of drivers have been unable to pay for parking using an app due to poor signal. Nearly half (48%) said they abandoned parking or were significantly delayed as a result.
Surprising no-one in the study mentioned they'd received a pcn because the signal was poor and access to parking apps denied.
Following major mobile network upgrades by VodafoneThree, 1,400 car parks now have stronger phone signal improving access to parking apps and easing one of motorists’ biggest frustrations.
4 -
Great news if you are on Giff gaff (O2) Car parks and other service providers should be outlawed from relying solely on app based payment systems for physical goods and services when pre existing contactless payment methods exist - select amount of time to park, and instead of putting coins in a slot where they drop into an exposed cash box that can easily be broken into/stolen a contactless payment is made.
No need to download an app
no need to register a payment mechanism for the app - enter card details, two factor authentication from bank, register app with username and password email verification and all the other crap that goes along with it, while at the same time trying to set out on whatever
From the Plain Language Commission:
"The BPA has surely become one of the most socially dangerous organisations in the UK"5 -
A THREE Towns man was hit with an £85 pcn for parking too long at Sainsbury’s in Saltcoats – despite the fact his car was in Irvine at the time.
Euro Car Parks insisted George Brown left his vehicle at Sainsbury’s for four hours and 17 minutes on April 30 but thankfully George had documented evidence that he and his car were in Irvine between 1.12pm and 15.05pm that day as he has to log in and out of his job.
After being contacted by the Herald Sainsbury's have apologised - and agreed with ECP to cancel the charge.
George, who had no intention of paying ECP anyway, said: “It’s put me off going to Sainsbury’s or parking there again. Using that firm for their car park could prove detrimental to them."
According to Sainsbury’s ECP are investigating what happened on this occasion.
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Double dips should be treated as fatal to a PPCs ongoing access to the DVLAs automated systems to request RK data, Double dips should result in at the very least a 6 month ban and then no restoration until the PPC can prove they have systems in place to prevent this.
Also Supermarkets and other such places that allow for the use of ANPR should face punitive measures, with the liability firmly placed on the management or whoever signed the contract personally, that is if John Smith working for Sainsburys signed a contract with a dodgy PPC then John smith should be hit personally in the pocket ( or bank account)
From the Plain Language Commission:
"The BPA has surely become one of the most socially dangerous organisations in the UK"9 -
A bit of a strange one. I wondered about this when I was in an Excel-Halfords car park over the winter. They will argue the car park contract exists for the entire car park and if a retailer erects a tent and decides to service cars on the land, it's none of their concern.
So what role does Halford's contract of "we will fit this item as long as you park you vehicle on land we don't own or lease for X price" play?
Any ideas?
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Caroline Voaden Lib Dem spokesperson (Schools):
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department are taking to ensure motorists are not incorrectly pursued for parking penalties as a result of ANPR misreads.
Seems no steps required as 👉🙄👈 Simon Lightwood Parliamentary Under-Secretary DfT thinks "such cases are rare"
"Errors by parking companies can occasionally result in motorists being pursued incorrectly. Although such cases are rare, the DVLA takes action with the parking company concerned."
Really Simon?...occasionally!….rare! And do please tell us Simon exactly what action the DVLA takes with the guilty parking company. Is it anything like suggested here?
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UPDATE
At the May Cabinet meeting, Councillors provided an apology to Elmbridge car park users for the enforcement errors that led to over 9,000 parking fines being issued incorrectly. They also agreed a refund process that will open as soon as possible in June to allow drivers to claim their refunds, pledging to pay eligible claims (without interest) within 2 weeks.
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Maybe we could do with a thread that collects and collates genuine ANPR errors and double dips in private car parks, like the DCBL discontinue thread
From the Plain Language Commission:
"The BPA has surely become one of the most socially dangerous organisations in the UK"6 -
Desperately encouraged by the BPA, we expect, Bournemouth Council are still putting out stories to try to pretend that their skewed trial last year should lead to massively hiked Penalty levels:
"Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said that a host of beachgoers decided to park illegally despite there being empty car parks just minutes away."They would say that, wouldn't they? Strange how that's not what locals say about the supposedly sufficient car park capacity at the coastal area.
So, just 24 hours after coming back to work after the Bank Holiday, a story appears to proactively get touted to the National papers!
Quelle surprise, Bournemouth council/BPA!
This all seems very quick and micro-managed as a news story. It hasn't arisen out of the blue. I hope the DFT don't fall for this rubbish but there is a danger.
We all know why the BPA & cronies want the leverage of increased penalties on-street, fed by a failed trial dressed up to say something it didn't show, and a laughable and incorrect argument about credible deterrence = higher sums of money.
It has BPA fingerprints all over it, IMHO.
One wonders, did this council secretly tell their staff to 'hammer' parking enforcement at the weekend - to suit their agenda - and then put out what IMHO must have been a pre-drafted & planned Press Release first thing Weds morning?
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD5 -
I stand corrected!
Bournemouth Council rushed this propaganda piece out on Tuesday, complete with a lengthy rhetoric (rant about penalties) from Cllr Herrett:
On the illegal (sic) parking, Cllr Herrett added:“Once more, we have seen the serious impact that illegal and irresponsible parking has on our beautiful area, and it is very frustrating to be in this position yet again.
We know that the last thing residents and visitors want is to be stuck behind a car parked where it shouldn’t be – or worse, blocking access for emergency service vehicles.
“We are doing all we can to tackle this behaviour with enforcement teams out daily issuing fines and keeping routes as clear as possible, but lasting change depends on the Government giving councils the powers to increase fines.
“Our pilot last year showed that higher fines act as a real deterrent, so we need the Government to act now and give local authorities across the country tougher powers to properly deter illegal parking before it takes place – and I want to thank local businesses and residents for their continued support.”
Amazingly, he (supposedly) said all that and it was all done and published on Tuesday, within hours of the bank holiday. Wow!
If the Government cannot see this for what it is, and doesn't realise that:
- On-street council signs never state a £penalty (at all), so the argument that "higher fines are a deterrent" fails,
and
- studies show that a credible deterrent ISN'T all about the money,
…then I despair.
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD6
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