Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Happy new year everyone!

We can only hope this is the year that the final nail is put in the coffin of the DRA-enriching added false 'Admin fee' that ZZPS' notorious owner is on record as boasting that he invented.

Here's his mugshot in a particularly interesting piece that shows (yet again) that the main problem isn't PPCs but the DRA and roboclaim thug stranglehold on parking firms and their victims alike:
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/experts/article-11588121/amp/TONY-HETHERINGTON-155-parking-fine-real-crime.html

We all know that APCOA never sue anyone (ever) and certainly would not launch a case in Magistrates' court.

Yet this poor 80 year old disabled lady had been duped by ZZPS' idle threats to pay them £155.

The article tells us that APCOA refunded it in full, including ZZPS' cut/invention.  Seems likely that APCOA ended up £70 out of pocket, specifically due to ZZPS (as reported) as there is no mention of the latter waiving their piece of the pie.

ZZPS were apparently less then magnanimous in their reply to Tony Hetherington.

APCOA would do sooooo much better without the likes of ZZPS.  They write off loads of PCNs and never litigate, so they simply do not need a waster of a middle-man.

They need a quicker turnover and more people paying lower PCNs, issued in far lower numbers of course because the Government's stated aim is full compliance and a more honest approach by operators and landowners alike.

All the Government need to do is confirm a low cap on parking charges and reiterate the ban on the DRA 'fee' enhancement and relatively good PPCs like APCOA will be paid for almost all their (lower, but twice as successful) PCNs, instead of writing loads off due to the failure of ZZPS and their ilk to extract money in most cases referred to them.

Coupon-mad

Another interesting letter from a driver to a paper:
https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/23220646.shoppers-abandon-hereford-go-elsewhere-better-parking/

"I LIVE in a satellite village to Hereford and often would like to visit our city, but when I try to think where to park I have to conclude that I will go somewhere else.

Recently, I parked in the Tesco car park and inadvertently overstayed a few minutes, for which I was billed £70 Often I go to Malvern shopping village instead as the parking is free.

This is what Hereford needs to be able to bring any large number of visitors in from the villages.

There is no point in spending millions on a city centre where no one can park sensibly.

I recently had to spend £20 in Waitrose to park and the barrier machine didn’t work on my ticket – luckily, stewards helped me to get out but once again it was another reason to visit another place instead.

I am frustrated that Hereford is so tied up with a bundle of expensive and inhospitable parking. We need solutions to this before any shopping centre can flourish."

Good points, well made.

Snakes_Belly

Coupon-mad said:

Another interesting letter from a driver to a paper:
https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/23220646.shoppers-abandon-hereford-go-elsewhere-better-parking/

"I LIVE in a satellite village to Hereford and often would like to visit our city, but when I try to think where to park I have to conclude that I will go somewhere else.

Recently, I parked in the Tesco car park and inadvertently overstayed a few minutes, for which I was billed £70 Often I go to Malvern shopping village instead as the parking is free.

This is what Hereford needs to be able to bring any large number of visitors in from the villages.

There is no point in spending millions on a city centre where no one can park sensibly.

I recently had to spend £20 in Waitrose to park and the barrier machine didn’t work on my ticket – luckily, stewards helped me to get out but once again it was another reason to visit another place instead.

I am frustrated that Hereford is so tied up with a bundle of expensive and inhospitable parking. We need solutions to this before any shopping centre can flourish."

Good points, well made.

Hereford sounds as if it is going the same way as Lichfield. Lichfield was featured on BBC Midlands news on Boxing Day about how quiet the town was. It should have been buzzing. 

patient_dream

Snakes_Belly said:

Coupon-mad said:

Another interesting letter from a driver to a paper:
https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/23220646.shoppers-abandon-hereford-go-elsewhere-better-parking/

"I LIVE in a satellite village to Hereford and often would like to visit our city, but when I try to think where to park I have to conclude that I will go somewhere else.

Recently, I parked in the Tesco car park and inadvertently overstayed a few minutes, for which I was billed £70 Often I go to Malvern shopping village instead as the parking is free.

This is what Hereford needs to be able to bring any large number of visitors in from the villages.

There is no point in spending millions on a city centre where no one can park sensibly.

I recently had to spend £20 in Waitrose to park and the barrier machine didn’t work on my ticket – luckily, stewards helped me to get out but once again it was another reason to visit another place instead.

I am frustrated that Hereford is so tied up with a bundle of expensive and inhospitable parking. We need solutions to this before any shopping centre can flourish."

Good points, well made.

Hereford sounds as if it is going the same way as Lichfield. Lichfield was featured on BBC Midlands news on Boxing Day about how quiet the town was. It should have been buzzing. 

We all remember the pathetic statement made by the CEO of the BPA about high streets being destroyed.

What a fool, it is his members that are destroying the high streets

Coupon-mad

Someone queuing in traffic for 3 hours, to charge their EV at a Welcome Break actually thinks that if they lose at POPLA they 'might have to pay' (what is WRONG with people?):
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1716266/electric-cars-driving-fine-parking-charging-service/amp

Parking scams thrive because too many people are stupid and just pay.  If they just used their grey cells and Googled it, the penny would drop that OBVIOUSLY queuing to use an EV point is not 'parking' and there is no breach.

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

Someone queuing in traffic for 3 hours, to charge their EV at a Welcome Break actually thinks that if they lose at POPLA they 'might have to pay' (what is WRONG with people?):
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1716266/electric-cars-driving-fine-parking-charging-service/amp

The driver claimed he received a message from Parkingeye saying: "As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer you the opportunity to make a discounted payment.

That makes it very clear that Parking Eye don't have a clue what is going on in the car parks they manage.   That must be a big concern for Welcome Break.

Does the site havs stables for the horses 

Coupon-mad

ANPR systems and Civil Enforcement Ltd called out as not fit for purpose, yet again:
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/driver-gets-car-park-fine-7998274.amp

Bloody hopeless system that does nothing for consumers.  ANPR is nothing more than a 'PCN machine'.  Moneymaking scam mentality.

And apparently CEL are 'working with Government' (really?)!

And apparently, '99.7% of motorists are compliant'.  Really?!

I think they mean in 99.7% of PARKING EVENTS drivers don't get a PCN.

A completely different statistic than how CEL put it, that really exposes the fact that drivers are at risk of getting a PCN every 100th time they park on or use private land infested by PPC World (i.e. The driving population are likely to get a scam private PCN about twice a year...).

Never mind the truth if you can twist a statistic, eh, parking industry?

There are lies, damn lies, and then there are statistics.

Here is the IPC Tweeting the same 99.7% mantra but at least they admit it is parking events, not 'compliant motorists':
https://twitter.com/_TheIPC/status/1598693274562093058?cxt=HHwWhICj8YPE2a8sAAAA

Coupon-mad

Fistral Beach again and the duped clueless victim actually gave up and paid £170 (*facepalm*):

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/beachgoer-slapped-fine-taking-long-28922394.amp

Beachgoer slapped with fine for taking too long to buy a ticket in gridlocked car park.  It took the family about 20 minutes from the moment they entered the packed car park to the moment they were able to purchase a ticket, she said, with intermittent phone signal hindering their efforts while using the mobile app.

After finally managing to pay for a two-hour session on the machine, the family headed to the beach and later returned to their car with some time to spare before their ticket expired - but had to jump-start their car as the battery had died.

Despite that, Lindsay said she was certain they had still left before the session ran out, as she remembered her son checking the ticket and stating they had a few minutes left, reports Cornwall Live.

However, when a Parking Charge Notice arrived in the post a few weeks later, Lindsay was left shocked by the demand that a £100 fine, reduced to £60 if paid within 28 days, be paid to the car park's operator, Initial Parking.

SHE CAVED IN AND ACTUALLY PAID £170!

WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE?

Coupon-mad

Daft that this next victim thinks the gimmick media of Tiktok is the place to publicise this, but:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/21007643/im-fuming-after-bailiffs-arrived-demanding-400/amp/

Sorry to link to that worthless rag...

...shocking story though about a disabled CHILD with useless private parking bully bailiffs after them because they wouldn't speak to the child's mother at pre-action or claim stage.

Coupon-mad

Not much comment needed from me. I'm sure you can all see right through this piece:

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/parking-review/news/72754/parking-on-private-land-it-s-time-to-face-facts

Featuring Will Hurley...

"Sir Greg Knight’s Bill initially made no mention of the level of the parking charge or the creation of a single appeals service, but by trying to do everything and failing to understand the complexity of parking processes, the government has achieved nothing. 

And, what if they get things wrong by reducing the deterrent and increasing non-compliance – a move that will inevitably result in a substantial increase the number of parking charges being issued? 

Is that really what the RAC Foundation and the motoring public want, when 99.77% of current parking actions by motorists in England and Wales are in fact fully compliant with parking regulations? 

Are we really prepared for the 0.23% of non-compliant motorists to deflect us...(blah blah blah)"

There's that twisted interpretation of that same old trotted out statistic again.  The one that REALLY means that UK motorists are all likely to get a private PCN every 100th time we park on private land.

Come on, pull the other one:

Ten million (mostly wholly unfair) PCNs per annum are not being deliberately racked up by a rogue 0.23% minority.

Jeez... I hope the DLUHC can see through this stuff.