War on motorists as drivers hit by 50% increase in number of parking tickets
DRIVERS have been hammered by a 50 per cent increase in the number of parking tickets this year, giving private companies a cash bonanza topping £1billion.
A record 2.7 million tickets were dished out between April and June, analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data has found.
That equates to an average of nearly 30,000 tickets every day – many on unsuspecting people by cowboy firms – and is up from a total of 1.8 million during the same period last year.
Stretched over a year it would mean 10.8 million fines issued – which at an average charge of £100 would give parking firms a £1.08billion windfall.
Motoring research charity the RAC Foundation claimed it is “inconceivable” that so many drivers are intentionally breaking parking rules with motoring groups warning that they are the latest “cash cow” to heap misery during the cost-of-living crisis.
In July the Government withdrew the introduction of long-awaited code of practice aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst actions following a legal challenge by parking companies.
The DVLA figures show the number of records obtained from the agency by companies chasing car owners for alleged infringements in private car parks, such as at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway service areas.
Some private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees. Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation director, said the private car park management sector is “booming”.
He said: “Three-and-a-half years after they were legislated for, the Government still isn’t using the powers allowed under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 to transform the world of private parking and make it a much fairer place.
“It remains inconceivable that, annually, millions of motorists are setting out to run up these tickets of up to £100 each, especially when household budgets are so tight. “This latest data is a sign of a system that is broken.
“We hope the new ministerial team in charge of this part of public policy will tackle it with renewed vigour.”
The code of practice, which was due to come into force by the end of next year, stated that the cap on tickets for some parking offences should be halved to £50.
The withdrawal pending a review of charges could lead to a further delay in putting the code into effect.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We recognise there have been unacceptable practices by a small number of cowboy companies.
Congested
“We will introduce our Private Parking Code of Practice as soon as possible to help tackle this issue and protect motorists.”
However, the British Parking Association defended the fines.
Chief executive Andrew Pester said: “There are millions of parking acts taking place every day, the vast majority without incident. This is
because parking is effectively managed fairly and responsibly to make sure we can all access the shops, leisure facilities, hospitals and supermarkets that might otherwise become congested.
“As people’s travel habits return to prepandemic levels, we have seen a significant increase in the number of cars on Britain’s roads.
“This is placing additional demands on parking, much of which occurs on private land due to the expansion of parking at retail and leisure parks and supermarkets.” He added: “If a driver receives a parking charge which they perceive as unfair, they must not ignore it. “Instead they should appeal to the issuing operator in the first instance and then to the free independent appeals service. “The best way to avoid getting a parking notice is to pay where you should and not to park where you don’t have the right to do so. “Motorists should always check the signage in private parking locations and adhere to the terms and conditions.
“We welcome the Parking (Code of Practice) Act and measures to introduce a single code, standards setting body and an independent appeals service.
“However, for this package of measures to be sustainable, there needs to be a sufficient deterrent.”
Some 176 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records between April and June, up from 151 during the previous 12 months.
ParkingEye was the most active, buying 521,000 records.
The DVLA charges private companies £2.50 per record.
The agency says that its fees are set to recover the cost of providing the information, and it does not make any money from the process.