Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Smart Parking yet again:
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/man-hit-hefty-parking-fine-050000030.html

The victim was helping an elderly lady who had fallen and awaited an ambulance with her, going a few minutes over the initial free parking time.

Victim said:

“I just can’t believe this has happened, it won’t stop me from using the market but I will never park there again."

...after the Bury Times contacted Smart Parking, the ticket was miraculously/suddenly cancelled as an "act of compassion".

A company spokesperson said:

"Smart Parking was brought in to manage the car park at the Angouleme Way Retail Park to stop parking abuse and ensure genuine customers can find somewhere to park.

“In the case of Mr Peake, we only have records of him visiting the site three times.

"On his first two visits, he paid for parking, but on his final visit, he didn't and was correctly issued with a charge.  However, as an act of compassion on this occasion, we have decided to cancel his charge."

Apparently, Smart Parking are compassionate. Could have fooled us!

alanjuk

Aspire housing have let their car park get infested
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/driver-david-slapped-100-fine-8037112

Coupon-mad

Why on earth did the managing agents get talked into a VRM keypad input screen system at an elderly persons' residential complex?

It is plainly unsuitable for those patrons & visitors and obviously designed to catch as many of them as possible.

My God these HAs and managing agents are so darn credulous when they hear a slick pitch from a PPC offering to run the parking free of charge.

That is all they hear...no engaging brain.  

1505grandad

Part of a comment:-
"............. said to them the screen is not working so took a photo of it because I can guarantee I will get a ticket , and I was correct ( CPM UK ) HAPPY NEW YEAR to you too )"

patient_dream

Coupon-mad said:

My God these HAs and managing agents are so darn credulous when they hear a slick pitch from a PPC offering to run the parking free of charge.

That is all they hear...no engaging brain.  

A slick pitch with benefits

Coupon-mad

Another day, another patron ripped off by UKPC at McDonalds for daring to eat there with kids who waited to use the indoor toddler play area:
https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/yoursay/letters/23280425.letter-complaints-parking-fine-mcdonalds-winwick-road/

McDonalds, what the hell are you doing to customers?

You do NOT even need a parking firm at most sites, and certainly not a 90 minute limit. 

Here's an idea: change it to 2 hours.

Oh wait, you can't, can you, McDonalds?

Because the PPC presumably calls the shots because they operate 'free' ... which means they have to set out to penalise a relatively high % of patrons.  So you don't set the time limit do you, and can't extend it. Letting the tail wag the dog and dump all over your slower visitors.

Did you never work this little PPC game out, McDonalds, or do you not care?

Coupon-mad

NHS Worker being subjected to toothless DRA letters re APCOA PCNs actually thinks he is being "targeted by bailiffs" and that this will lead to a CCJ:
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/bailiffs-chase-royal-stoke-worker-8073834.amp

Apparently, there are staff at Royal Stoke University Hospital who are actually paying these, wrongly thinking their credit record is at stake.

Sigh...why can't people just Google?

And why haven't APCOA just cancelled these?

Coupon-mad

Next, take a bow Euro Car Parks for reportedly issuing PCNs at a site where the payment machines were not working and nor were they answering the so-called 'helpline':
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/wolverhampton/2023/01/29/driver-fined-after-faulty-machines-stop-him-from-paying-at-wolverhampton-car-park/

Old guy gets a postal PCN & thinks it's a fine.

He'd tried to avoid it by going online and contacting the advertised operator (NCP).

"he went home and immediately emailed NCP, the previous owners of the multi-storey that are still listed as such online – asking if he could pay the £2 he owed for parking there. Wulfrun Car Park is still labelled as an NCP site when searched online, despite the fact that Euro Car Parks took over more than a year ago."

Great job, NCP and ECP.  From the evidence it looks like one or both are misleading consumers. The BPA should step in but any thin shred of confidence in them has probably slipped to a nullity since Steve Clark left.

Umkomaas

The BPA should step in but any thin shred of confidence in them has probably slipped to a nullity since Steve Clark left.

Who might now be behind the surge in DCB Legal private parking activity. Any comment Mr Clark, we seem always to have previously had a sensible dialogue?

1505grandad

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/man-slapped-with-170-parking-fine-at-coventry-hospital-claims-he-already-paid-it/ar-AA16SOOA?ocid=U148DHP&pc=U148&cvid=57e6f3e9868f439c92137cd3274358ef#comments

ParkingEye and a hospital  -  two visits.

""POPLA is not being very fair, considering they're who you go to when you have issues with parking fines. If I had a copy of the parking ticket, I wouldn't need to go to poplar.

"I thought POPA were there to help these things. think we have a reasonable case, I think they're a waste of time really."