Case study to deal with ANPR Car Parks

RobinKlunts

There is a way of dealing with these car parks that has proven to have been effective is some areas:

on receiving PCN’s from a car park do the following:

set up a Facebook group with the name of the car park (e.g Derby Lidl, station street unfair parking charges) -
find some experts from one of the larger Facebook groups, to provide some good advice and support.
get some leaflets printed highlighting that “many people have complained about receiving falsely-issued Parking charge notices) from this car park, direct them to the Facebook group.

take pictures of the current set up of the parking meters, signage, cameras etc and post to the group (this then gives date stamped proof of car parks M.O), update how the parking machines operate, whether they take cash, card, apps, update Facebook with changes made, include anecdotal evidence from people who tell you what has happened to them in this car park, this will highlight the car park operators M.O, which can be updated as they charge it and start squirming.

Find ways of spreading the word, to get a true representation of how many people have been effected, and in what ways.

this approach has got rid of 2 operators from car parks near us, and acts as both a damning source of up to date evidence in the parking operators face, and an invaluable support network to help people take their cases to court.

if every private ANPR car park had a group like this, the industry would be held to account and forced to change.

if, operators don’t change, legal direct action can be arranged (where it is safe to do so) to advise motorists of other car parks nearby with more favourable methods.

Coupon-mad

this approach has got rid of 2 operators from car parks near us, and acts as both a damning source of up to date evidence in the parking operators face, and an invaluable support network to help people take their cases to court.
if every private ANPR car park had a group like this, the industry would be held to account and forced to change.

I like that.  Well done.

RobinKlunts

Thoughts with this are that it is a workable way of dealing with these car parks on a local level, that supports local victims, holds operators to account and builds an evidence source that can be used in court. Gives local people a way of getting involved with the car parks with direct action (legal) that makes a difference - how is this best communicated to the UK population and millions of victims out there who are either isolated, or haven’t been using a method like this.

Gr1pr

There definitely needs to be a greater official backlash that highlights the constant failings of the private parking industry, even though the DLUHC will be regulating it later this year, hopefully 

Fruitcake

We routinely advise victims to do this sort of thing at residential sites, but what you have suggested/done is a most excellent idea for commercial sites.
I just wish more people knew about these issues, and less people were apathetic of the problem.

Well done.