Which? is calling on the government to use the new Private Parking Code of Practice to raise standards and stop unfair fines.
The government’s proposed Code, covering rules around signage, debt recovery caps and appeals processes, will replace the industry’s self-set code of practice in a bid to create a fairer and more transparent system.
A proposed Code was first announced in February 2022. But it was withdrawn later that year, after the industry issued legal proceedings against the proposals to change maximum fines and ban additional fees.
For many years, Which? has highlighted an ongoing rise in private parking fines and drivers’ frustrating experiences when trying to appeal unjust charges.
Responding to the government’s consultation on its new proposed Code, Which? is calling for several robust measures to be included to battle unfair fines, improve appeals and raise standards.
Whether it’s unclear signage, inconsistent payment methods, faulty pay machines or apps that rely on you having sufficient phone signal, it often feels like you’re being set up to fail when using a private car park.
Even if you make an honest mistake, perhaps misreading a car park’s confusing T&Cs or mistyping your vehicle registration number, your £3.50 charge for a two-hour stay at a car park can quickly snowball into a hefty fine and a headache – and that’s before those worrying debt recovery letters start arriving.
Under the new government Code, which will apply to all private parking firms, Which? want to see signage rules standardised across all car parks (including a specified minimum size for text), as well as the banning of parking charges that are issued to motorists who make a full payment before leaving a car park overseen by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.
In the event of mitigating circumstances (for example, a medical emergency or a vehicle breakdown), Which? believes your fine should be cancelled, not just reduced as is stipulated under the current system.
Which? also thinks it’s unfair that parking firms are allowed to claim debt recovery fees automatically and that these should be stopped – they can add an extra £70 to a fine.
Parking fines issued by a private parking firm are actually not fines at all. Some may say they are little more than invoices. However, these notices can be pursued through the courts so they’re a little more serious than an invoice.
Though appealing an unfair parking fine is an option, it’s easy to see why motorists don’t always want to take the risk – particularly when you’re offered a 40% reduced rate if you pay the charge within the first two weeks.
Which? strongly supports the government’s proposal for an independent, single appeals service to replace the two existing second-stage appeals processes, making it simpler for drivers to challenge fines they believe have been wrongly issued.
We’re calling on the government to now make swift progress to introduce the Code to better protect the vast majority of motorists who use car parks in good faith.
