Parking firms could be forced to curb fines

ROGUE parking firms could be banned from issuing drivers with heavy penalties under new rules being drawn up by ministers.

The measures were unveiled after a dramatic rise in the number of drivers being fined by private firms for minor offences. The number of tickets of up to £100 issued by parking companies has leapt by almost two thirds in a year to 1.74 million.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is understood to be preparing to curb access to a government database of motorists’ details which parking firms use to chase vehicle owners for fines.

Some unscrupulous operators use “ghost” ticketing in which they put a ticket on a car, photograph it and then remove it. This leads to drivers “failing” to pay, allowing the company to charge a higher fine.

Under the new rules, private operators would be subject to regulations banning the use of such predatory tactics. They could also be forced to make appeals easier and more transparent, with a limit on the sums of money charged, according to The Times.

There is also pressure for appeals to be regulated by an independent panel, such as the traffic penalty tribunal.

Companies that fall foul of the rules would be prevented from accessing the DVLA database, which holds around 40 million drivers’ records.

Operators that want access to the database will have to join one of two trade bodies capable of holding them to account over bad practice. They are the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community.

Sir Greg Knight, a Conservative MP, said: “Self-regulation hasn’t worked and we need to put this on a statutory footing to stop motorists being ripped off. We need to have a fairer, more transparent and consistent enforcement system.”

It is expected that the rules could be in place by October next year.