REVIVING THE PRIVATE PARKING BILL

Coupon-mad

And any old crap is swallowed by the APAs these days, it seems.  As noted by careful reading of the fake Code of Practice which includes so many sneaky wording differences that it is laughable.

kryten3000

Coupon-mad said:

And any old crap is swallowed by the APAs these days, it seems.  As noted by careful reading of the fake Code of Practice which includes so many sneaky wording differences that it is laughable.

The best example of this is to ask the question: According to the "The private parking sector single Code of Practice" that was recently introduced by the BPA/IPC, what is the mandatory Grace Period at a parking location with a maximum stay period of 60 minutes or less?






If you said 10 minutes then you triggered the QI Klaxon. 

It is actually zero minutes, but none of the publicity mentions this, all the press articles talk about 10 minutes grace. 

When I asked why not reduce the maximum stay  by 10 minutes, no reply was forthcoming.

 

Protest

OK folks. Time for action?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd94j587m2o

For evil to prosper it only takes good people to remain silent

BBC Radio 4 at 1204 today

Humdinger1

@Protest there's been an update from @Coupon-mad that work in the select committee is still very much ongoing.  I think it's still the case that too much can't be said in public about this.  Is that right @Coupon-mad?

Nellymoser

@Protest Did you see recent articles 

‘Rip-off private parking fines needs to go’, Catherine Atkinson MP tells Parliament

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81152306/#Comment_81152306

Letter group of MPs sent to MHCLG copied to the Select Committee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81193608/#Comment_81193608

In Dec Stanley Luckhurst re-issued his petition demanding the re-launch of a Govt-backed Parking Code of Practice. It would help greatly if you would sign and share with people in your action group.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701453

Protest

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd94j587m2o and

now available on BBC Sounds at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026v55

The consumer phone-in surfaced many of the issues and had both a “legal expert” response and the voices of the parking industry on air. The interviewer was well-informed but the programme format did not really get to the heart of the matter.

The start point was the time allowed by the operator for the motorist to make payment after parking. The industry position was that this was being formalised by the industry as a 5min interval – part of their new Code of Practice which would deliver everything the Government wanted, but more quickly.

That may be what the industry proclaims but it is not so open about its actions to halt the original draft via judicial review, nor its continuing hostility to the Government intention to stop predatory contractual practices.

The industry is probably hoping that its new Code will look so like the real thing that the current Government will accept it and forget about the provisions that were developed consultatively in response to the all-party concerns that gave rise to the 2019 Private Parking Bill.

Nellymoser

Protest said:

.....it is not so open about its actions to halt the original draft via judicial review, nor its continuing hostility to the Government intention to stop predatory contractual practices.

The industry is probably hoping that its new Code will look so like the real thing that the current Government will accept it and forget about the provisions that were developed consultatively in response to the all-party concerns that gave rise to the 2019 Private Parking Bill

Agree completely with Protest's thinking here. And while I firmly believe Coupon-mad and colleagues on Govt parking steering group will fight hard on our behalf for statutory CoP and regulation I do feel the same message loudly voiced to MHCLG by many MPs and individual motorists is also needed.
......................

For further info there are posts in Parking Stories in News/media thread on BPA/IPC panel to review their CoP plus new thread opened:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6580210/new-panel-to-oversee-uk-private-parking-sector-code

Coupon-mad

Protest said:

The industry is probably hoping that its new Code will look so like the real thing that the current Government will accept it and forget about the provisions that were developed consultatively in response to the all-party concerns that gave rise to the 2019 Private Parking Bill.

I'm sure that was and remains their aim.

Not a chance, IMHO!  Not on my watch and I'd hazard, not in the watch of the other good guys & gals on the Steering Group.

Work continues. The above was raised months ago by me, but getting your MPs to say the same thing in Parliament and/or to lean on the MHCLG for progress is all good pressure.

@Humdinger1 you are correct!

  

Protest

 I do not doubt the sincerity and commitment of people who have worked hard to get the Bill/Code to where it is BUT IMHO the current Govt will simply continue with its ASAP response until the next election, aided by the BPA/IPC lobby. The Code is not even visible in the Ministry website's long list of priority responsibilities. I cannot see any counter-pressure that will lead to a constructive outcome unless those active MPs build their numbers and get the Parliamentary Committee on board. Too many novices however, and too many houses to build!.

Humdinger1

@Protest we all understand your frustration.  However we have the excellent @Coupon-mad on the committee.  Have you seen the unbelievably good work she has done over the years.  None of us can speak as to what's going on inside government with anything like the degree of certainty and expertise that she can.