Parking stories in the News/media

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

Another day, another £100 PCN news story where the victim has just paid (both him and his friend got a PCN.  Both rolled over and paid) without bothering to Google the scam and come here:
https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/amp/mcfined-two-men-receive-parking-fine-from-restaurant-for-be-9289734/

The car park is owned by UKPC <<< WRONG, who issue fines>>> WRONG, but McDonald’s sets the allocated time allowed in the car park.

When approached for comment, McDonald’s declined.

YES, UKPC have become something that gets stuck to your shoes.

McDonalds ..... what can we say about this junk food provider. If you must, make sure there is a drive-thru so you don't leave you car and LEAVE, find somewhere else to eat the stuff.

It is safe to say that McDONALDS hate their bread and butter (or fat burgers) customers.

Half_way

Half_way said:

As we all know the PPc world likes to put a spin that if you have/own a site with a car park by introducing parking controls all your parking problems will be solved, and there is no better way to empty a car park than by having a PPC preying upon your tenants customers and driving those tenants out of business as customers are scared away.

 Fewer businesses = fewer cars = fewer cars taking up spaces and lots of spaces for all

"Garden centre at Belvoir Castle to close over 'negative' impact of parking charges and fines
It says customers, staff and suppliers have been put in an "impossible situation"

A garden centre based at Belvoir Castle near Grantham is closing down after parking charges and fines "negatively impacted" on the business, putting customers, staff and suppliers in an "impossible situation".

The business stated: "It is with enormous sadness and regret that we have to announce the closure of The Idle Mole at the Engine Yard, Belvoir Castle. The parking charges and fines have negatively impacted us, not only affecting our customers’ experience but also putting our suppliers and staff in an impossible situation.

Full article here:

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/garden-centre-belvoir-castle-close-7933191

I know its not good form to quote your own post, but business is booming at that site, this time the Grantham journal has a report on another retailer at the same site :

 https://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/second-store-at-castle-retail-village-announces-closure-wit-9289553/

A second retailer located at Belvoir Castle’s retail village has announced “with a very heavy heart” it will be closing.

B Jewellery, located at the Engine Yard, will be closing down its site due to a fall in the retail village’s footfall and parking charges.

Umkomaas

I'm sure both above reports will indicate to the DLUHC just what damage private parking companies are exacting on the High Street. Appalling, honest small businesses having their customer base decimated and forced into involuntary bankruptcy because of customer fear of either having done, or falling foul of this rubbish. 

Despite my knowledge of this crap, and well able to deal and dispense with it, I'd go nowhere near one of these retail sites - gone is my car, and, more importantly, gone is my custom!  Is no one with any influence understanding this?

Coupon-mad

Smart Parking and Debt Recovery Plus ignoring BPA rules (again):
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/ridiculous-fine-given-torquay-man-7939205.amp

"A pensioner on palliative care was given a parking ticket when receiving his Covid booster vaccine and now has seven days to pay up or legal action will be taken.

Bob Pye, 86, has mobility issues and says staff told him to wait outside the vacination centre in his wife Marge's car on a double yellow line where they would come out to administer the shot.

Mr Pye’s grandson said while the couple sat waiting outside at the Riviera International Centre, an automated camera photographed the car parked on the double yellows. Appeals have since been made to Smart Parking and MP Kevin Foster but it culminated this Monday with Debt Recovery Plus sending him an ultimatum of paying the fine or legal action being taken."

Errrm...this is a breach of BPA rules.

In January 2021, I got this email from Steve Clark at the BPA who acted very reasonably at the time:

Covid-19 Operational Advice Supporting the national effort – BPA Community   Our BPA community continues to fully support the UK’s efforts to combat COVID-19 and we are immensely proud of the contributions being made by our members. We worked closely with Government throughout 2020 and this will continue until the end of the pandemic.  A good example of the sector’s collaborative working is how many of our members are providing free parking for NHS staff and critical care workers.   The vaccination rollout will save lives and keep our country running. NHS staff and volunteers will doubtless be working day and night to as they step up to the unprecedented challenge we face as a nation. In the next few weeks/months the elderly and those who are clinically vulnerable, and therefore the most likely to suffer the most, will be invited to attend a vaccination centre - this will be a stressful time for many of them and we believe that nobody should receive a Parking Charge Notice for attending a vaccination centre.   The NHS will be rapidly increasing the number of testing/vaccination centres in the coming days and weeks and AOS operators will need to consider the parking arrangements around these facilities. It may be appropriate to alter the payment, enforcement and management arrangements to accommodate the new pattern of use that will inevitably arise - this is a matter between Operators and their landowner clients of course. We know that some operators have already liaised with their clients to determine practical support measures for the NHS which include: free provision of parking sites; and extended grace periods etc. We encourage all members to explore the feasibility of these and other measures.   It is recognised that locations will often need to maintain some level of enforcement to ensure the effective parking management of landowners’ property. If people are required to pay to park or follow other Terms & Conditions when getting their vaccinations, then we encourage operators to consider additional options to raise awareness, such as the inclusion of parking arrangements within appointment letters. We also recognise that operators may need to continue to deploy their enforcement teams in some capacity and we would ask that they are focused on providing help and advice about where people can and can’t park and only issue a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) where absolutely necessary.   It is essential that our sector continues to positively engage in the national effort to control the virus and support the NHS. The vaccination programme is an important element of that effort; we must remove the potential for additional anxieties caused by inappropriate parking management and enforcement during this unprecedented period. We therefore expect that should a PCN be issued to a motorist at a vaccination centre who can prove that they were attending that vaccination centre on the day of the parking event, that PCN should be cancelled in the same way, as set out in Section 17 of the Code.   Thank you for your continued and invaluable support.   This note has been shared with the DVLA, MHCLG, Department of Health and Social Care NHS England

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6231025/private-pcns-issued-to-people-getting-covid19-vaccinations-policy-responses-from-the-trade-bodies/p1

Umkomaas

I wonder if Steve Clark will be encouraging DCBL to take on Smart Parking cases, as no other DCA seems to be making major inroads with SP charges collection.  Time will tell.

DCBL seem to be trying to move towards achieving domination in the private parking debt collection market!

Coupon-mad

"DCBL seem to be trying to move towards achieving domination in the private parking debt collection market!"

That hasn't gone unnoticed...has been raised...!

patient_dream

PARKING EYE & THE BPA .... ANPR ... DOUBLE DIPPING 

Whilst this Watchdog video is 4 years old, it is as relevent today as it was then
and worthy of this thread which government can read

NOTHING HAS CHANGED despite the known faults with ANPR

NOTHING HAS CHANGED WITH POPLA with their known faults

In the latter part, you can see the CEO of the BPA who probably still waffles on now as he did then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIaKMkO3YVM

Trainerman

Interesting viewing. You could see from his body language and hear in his voice that the BPA spokesman knew he was talking total b*****ks in trying to defend the indefensible .

Umkomaas

Smart Parking (Tower Road, Newquay) issue PCN despite the motorist calling them indicating a problem with downloading their app, and paid the 2-hour parking charge over the phone. 2 weeks later, NtK!
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/newquay-beachgoer-furious-over-100-7837635

Ocean Parking (McDonalds Walsall) totally intransigent, even though the lady was stuck in the drive-thru because of the volume of customer traffic in the queue.  It took the McD's area manager to pay the PCN himself to get Ocean out the lady's hair. Read the arrogance in Ocean's response to the appeal:

"If you have failed to read or chosen to ignore the contractual warning signage in place, Ocean Parking cannot be held responsible for this, nor is this due to the signage not being visible or clear.

"You have failed to provide any evidence to support the claims within your appeal, however the details stated do not negate you from the parking restrictions in place, nor do they justify you failing to comply with the parking tariffs in place at this location."

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/mum-slapped-100-fine-after-25687919

Source: NoToMob forum. 

patient_dream

Read the arrogance in Ocean's response to the appeal:

And ignorance.  Ocean need to wake up to the real world and realise they are only a bog standard scammer and nothing special