The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Perth’s parking nightmare could finally be over
RULES: Government legislation set to be voted through
Perth’s private parking nightmare could be over after it was revealed tough new rules could be pushed through within weeks.
The city has been plagued by the practices of car park operators, with motorists demanding action over massive parking fees and escalating threats of legal action.
Holyrood and Westminster are now pushing ahead with tough new rules.
Next month MPs are to vote for legislation creating a new code of conduct, and in Holyrood further action looks set to be fasttracked through the Transport Bill.
Misleading signs, unreasonable terms, excessive fines, aggressive payment demands and a confusing appeals process are being targeted by Westminster.
The Scottish Government’s Transport Bill will ensure similar regulation north of the border.
Pete Wishart, Perthshire’s SNP MP, said: “We know just how damaging some unscrupulous operators have been here in Perth.” Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “What matters most is getting the best deal for parkers.”
Motorists should be free of the scourge of rogue private parking operators within weeks.
Holyrood and Westminster are pushing ahead with tough new rules for the private parking industry, which are designed to consign immoral practices to history.
MPs are to vote for legislation creating a new code of conduct next month.
Meanwhile, in Holyrood, an MSP’s bid to make life more difficult for firms looks set to be fast-tracked through the Transport Bill.
Murdo Fraser, the Perthshire-based MSP for the Scottish Conservatives, said the SNP administration has signalled it would include key measures from his member’s Bill in their own legislative plans, which are already going through parliament.
They would tie in with the UK-wide Parking Code of Conduct Bill, which the Commons is expected to back next month.
The rogue tactics that the Bill targets include poor and misleading signage, unreasonable terms, excessive fines, aggressive payment demands and a confusing appeals process.
Those who break the rules will be banned from accessing DVLA data, which would effectively force them out of the industry.
Pete Wishart, Perthshire’s SNP MP, who is one of the architects of the Westminster proposals, said that he fully expects it to become law by early next year.
“We know just how damaging some unscrupulous operators have been here in Perth and I am pleased to be able to play a role in bringing the days of an under-regulated industry to an end,” he said.
Mr Fraser’s measures include an independent appeals service and keeper liability for Scotland to match the position in the rest of the UK.
He added: “The Scottish Government’s Transport Bill offers the quickest route to seeing these plans become reality and I have indicated to the cabinet secretary that I would like to see my proposals end up in the Bill.
“Ultimately, what matters most is getting the best deal for parkers.”
A Transport Scotland spokesman said they are working with the UK Government and others to “address the unacceptable private parking practices that impact motorists and the industry as a whole”.
“We also welcome the opportunities to further explore proposals for an independent appeals service and keeper liability within Scotland and continue to consider whether the Transport Bill is a suitable vehicle for proposals on those issues,” he added.
A spokesman for Smart Parking, which has long been blamed for targeting motorists with unfair fines in Tayside, said earlier this year they are “fully behind” the idea of a single code of practice. “We will continue to work with the British Parking Association and other industry leaders to make it happen,” he said.