Parking pirates holed below the waterline

IN a rare victory for the hard-pressed motorist, Scottish courts many years ago took a dim view of private firms fitting clamps to cars before demanding fat fees to release vehicles.

Use of the so-called ‘Denver boot’ was, they ruled, extortion and was illegal. But it proved a false dawn. For complaints were soon mounting about private parking firms haunting drivers with fines.

Motorists were intimidated by debtcollection companies, usurious fees were levied in pursuit of questionable fines, and all this backed by ominous court threats.

Infuriatingly, many fines were issued by firms who were able to act as judge, jury and executioner.

Drivers seeking to appeal a ticket often had to deal with the companies which had issued the fine in the first place and which had a vested interest in not giving an inch. Natural justice and fairness were in short supply.

The Mail took up the plight of drivers and now, after a high-profile campaign exposing this iniquitous system, there is success.

Holyrood is to act with a new Transport (Scotland) Bill that is set to cap charges at £60 and introduce an independent system to adjudicate on disputes.

The parking pirates have been holed below the waterline and drivers, so often treated as an open wallet to be plundered, have something to be pleased about.