Parking firms issue 35,000 fines a day amid rule delay

Drivers are being handed an average of more than 35,000 parking tickets by private companies every day as the wait for the Government to impose new rules on the sector reaches five years, according to analysis.

Many drivers could feel “badly let down” by the delay in ministers introducing a code of conduct aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst practices despite legislation being passed, said the RAC Foundation, a motoring research charity.

Its analysis of government data found that 9.7 million tickets were issued to drivers by private parking companies in Britain from April to December last year, which is equivalent to nearly 35,300 every day.

Each ticket can cost drivers up to £100. Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

The Parking (Code of Practice) Bill received Royal Assent five years ago on March 15 2019, but the code has not be implemented.

At least 32.2 million tickets have been issued by private companies in Britain since the legislation was passed. The code was originally laid before Parliament in February 2022 and was due to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023. It included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to £50, creating a fairer appeals system, higher standards for signage and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.

But the code was withdrawn by the Government in June 2022 following a legal challenge by parking companies and has not been reintroduced.