Parking Penalty Charges to be Capped at £50
Discussion
As per title, Parking Penalty Charges to be Capped at £50, along with other changes restrictions, such as:
'Parking firms will have to more clearly display pricing and terms and conditions'
and
'Firms will have to give motorists a 10-minute grace period before they can issue a late fine'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60282554
'Parking firms will have to more clearly display pricing and terms and conditions'
and
'Firms will have to give motorists a 10-minute grace period before they can issue a late fine'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60282554
There will still be plenty of people scammed by these "infallible" cameras who will still pay up and fund their business model.
I've had one PPC tell me their cameras were 100%, yet as a "gesture of goodwill", they cancelled a dozen or more incorrectly issued tickets. I still think the system should be changed for PPC's and Councils - issue a ticket incorrectly and you pay the driver £50 or the same amount you are claiming for - it's fair.
I've had one PPC tell me their cameras were 100%, yet as a "gesture of goodwill", they cancelled a dozen or more incorrectly issued tickets. I still think the system should be changed for PPC's and Councils - issue a ticket incorrectly and you pay the driver £50 or the same amount you are claiming for - it's fair.
The guy who racked up huge fines by entering his postcode instead of his reg shows exactly how barrel-scraping the private parking industry is. An electronic system should not be able to accept a postcode since it's not a valid format for car registrations. How on earth did the company not realise that? It's clear that he was entitled to be in that car park too.
In all honesty it would be better if the government banned third party parking enforcement altogether. It's a needless industry that serves little benefit, with plenty of ways to prevent overstays.
It already sounds like the legislation will be flawed too, unless the government will give blue badges an official standing on private land. It's hard to see how that would be compatible with the Equality Act though, since there may be many reasons someone with a disability doesn't have a BB.
Not that it'll matter since most parking "management" involves installing entry and exit ANPR rather than any sort of active monitoring.
In all honesty it would be better if the government banned third party parking enforcement altogether. It's a needless industry that serves little benefit, with plenty of ways to prevent overstays.
It already sounds like the legislation will be flawed too, unless the government will give blue badges an official standing on private land. It's hard to see how that would be compatible with the Equality Act though, since there may be many reasons someone with a disability doesn't have a BB.
Not that it'll matter since most parking "management" involves installing entry and exit ANPR rather than any sort of active monitoring.
Edited by spikyone on Monday 7th February 08:03
spikyone said:
In all honesty it would be better if the government banned third party parking enforcement altogether. It's a needless industry that serves little benefit, with plenty of ways to prevent overstays.
I agree. If your land is that valuable then it should be protected by other means - manned barriers for instance. The fact is that most PPCs generate little revenue - supermarkets for instance, with x hours free parking. Whilst they fine a few overstayers, they also rely on revenue from people who get fines in error, but are scared and pay up. Some of my colleagues have received tickets and simply say they will pay up when I know it's a scam![Disclosure: You can probably tell, I hate PPCs and their business model. I even contacted my MP as a result of receiving nearly 20 "fines" from one PPC, where I had to cross their car park to legitimately access another building. It got to a stage where I would keep receipts of places I visited, just in case, to prove I wasn't in their car park. The MP was also baffled at the stupidity of the response of the PPC and said she would support the Parking Bill.]
I'll take some positivity from this and say that at least the fines are going to be capped at £50.
I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
Years I pulled into what I thought was just an abandoned bit of land that people parked on and waited 10 minutes or so for my other half to pop into a shop. Weeks later I get a 'fine' through from a company, telling me I'd stayed 11 minutes and it was only free parking for 10 minutes. This was back when the advise was to simply bin it. Which I did. The letters got slightly more threatening and then sounded desperate, "If you pay the original fine it won't be doubled" etc. Nothing ever came of it. Although I'd say 3 or so years later, I got a letter from a company with photocopied details of a court case that had been won previously for an unpaid fine. It was the same lot trying their luck again, the "car park" wasn't even there it was a Lidl so again in the bin it went and that was that!
I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
Years I pulled into what I thought was just an abandoned bit of land that people parked on and waited 10 minutes or so for my other half to pop into a shop. Weeks later I get a 'fine' through from a company, telling me I'd stayed 11 minutes and it was only free parking for 10 minutes. This was back when the advise was to simply bin it. Which I did. The letters got slightly more threatening and then sounded desperate, "If you pay the original fine it won't be doubled" etc. Nothing ever came of it. Although I'd say 3 or so years later, I got a letter from a company with photocopied details of a court case that had been won previously for an unpaid fine. It was the same lot trying their luck again, the "car park" wasn't even there it was a Lidl so again in the bin it went and that was that!
Th real test will be the enforcement of this - if any of them actually do get banned from accessing keepers details that's a great punishment for them.
I do like the idea of having to pay the driver £50 if they lose though
there's method in that madness though, it would encourage them to only pursue the clear breaches (which is fair enough really) but giving the benefit of the doubt to edge cases. It would probably also encourage them to be more upfront and clear about rules and signage...
It would never happen, but I reckon it would be a real vote winner for any party brave enough.
I do like the idea of having to pay the driver £50 if they lose though
there's method in that madness though, it would encourage them to only pursue the clear breaches (which is fair enough really) but giving the benefit of the doubt to edge cases. It would probably also encourage them to be more upfront and clear about rules and signage... It would never happen, but I reckon it would be a real vote winner for any party brave enough.
Alex_225 said:
I'll take some positivity from this and say that at least the fines are going to be capped at £50.
I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
Years I pulled into what I thought was just an abandoned bit of land that people parked on and waited 10 minutes or so for my other half to pop into a shop. Weeks later I get a 'fine' through from a company, telling me I'd stayed 11 minutes and it was only free parking for 10 minutes. This was back when the advise was to simply bin it. Which I did. The letters got slightly more threatening and then sounded desperate, "If you pay the original fine it won't be doubled" etc. Nothing ever came of it. Although I'd say 3 or so years later, I got a letter from a company with photocopied details of a court case that had been won previously for an unpaid fine. It was the same lot trying their luck again, the "car park" wasn't even there it was a Lidl so again in the bin it went and that was that!
In most cases, it will be a lot less than £50 as most people will pay within 14 days and only pay £25. That can't sit well with their business model. I can forsee lots of unmaintained cameras and signage. Oh well. The economic squeeze is affecting all of us.I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
Years I pulled into what I thought was just an abandoned bit of land that people parked on and waited 10 minutes or so for my other half to pop into a shop. Weeks later I get a 'fine' through from a company, telling me I'd stayed 11 minutes and it was only free parking for 10 minutes. This was back when the advise was to simply bin it. Which I did. The letters got slightly more threatening and then sounded desperate, "If you pay the original fine it won't be doubled" etc. Nothing ever came of it. Although I'd say 3 or so years later, I got a letter from a company with photocopied details of a court case that had been won previously for an unpaid fine. It was the same lot trying their luck again, the "car park" wasn't even there it was a Lidl so again in the bin it went and that was that!
Pica-Pica said:
I have just read the news article, and had to speed over here to see what the anally retentive PHers had to add to whinge about it all. Nothing changes. PH is just like old gossips around the village pump.
I'm very sorry that the new rules affect your profits at your PPC. 
vikingaero said:
I agree. If your land is that valuable then it should be protected by other means - manned barriers for instance. The fact is that most PPCs generate little revenue - supermarkets for instance, with x hours free parking. Whilst they fine a few overstayers, they also rely on revenue from people who get fines in error, but are scared and pay up. Some of my colleagues have received tickets and simply say they will pay up when I know it's a scam!
[Disclosure: You can probably tell, I hate PPCs and their business model. I even contacted my MP as a result of receiving nearly 20 "fines" from one PPC, where I had to cross their car park to legitimately access another building. It got to a stage where I would keep receipts of places I visited, just in case, to prove I wasn't in their car park. The MP was also baffled at the stupidity of the response of the PPC and said she would support the Parking Bill.]
I'm with you all the way. Someone on here posted the other day that Smart parking make 75% of their revenue from 'fines'. What's the incentive for companies with that sort of warped business model to operate with any sort of integrity?[Disclosure: You can probably tell, I hate PPCs and their business model. I even contacted my MP as a result of receiving nearly 20 "fines" from one PPC, where I had to cross their car park to legitimately access another building. It got to a stage where I would keep receipts of places I visited, just in case, to prove I wasn't in their car park. The MP was also baffled at the stupidity of the response of the PPC and said she would support the Parking Bill.]
I'm 3-0 up defending people against PPCs now - twice was my retired parents, who are quite partial to browsing shops and getting lunch, which often ends with them spending a lot of time and money at retail parks. Had it not been for me once berating them for paying a charge (back in the days before POFA and Beavis when they could've simply told the PPC to FRO) they would've probably paid both charges and been another £120 out of pocket.
The other benefit of banning third party enforcement would be that if parking charges came from Asda, The Range, or whoever, the bad press and amount of grief they'd have to deal with would soon put an end to private parking 'fines' altogether. At the moment those companies can hide behind the faceless goons with their ANPR cameras. Last time my parents got a charge the shop that they'd been in shrugged their shoulders and said "not our problem".
Alex_225 said:
I'll take some positivity from this and say that at least the fines are going to be capped at £50.
I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
It's a huge help for landowners who suffer from people who PLAC. It's not the fines, it's the deterrent effect.I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
Countdown said:
It's a huge help for landowners who suffer from people who PLAC. It's not the fines, it's the deterrent effect.
Again, I have no sympathy for people who abuse the PPC system and they deserve to be fined. The BPA & IPC should standardise signs - for instance a huge 1, 2 or 3 hours free in a big box with all their bumpf underneath it. What happens now is a mixture of times hidden in the details to deliberately confuse people.spikyone said:
The guy who racked up huge fines by entering his postcode instead of his reg shows exactly how barrel-scraping the private parking industry is. An electronic system should not be able to accept a postcode since it's not a valid format for car registrations. How on earth did the company not realise that? It's clear that he was entitled to be in that car park too.
TBH when I saw that on the news this morning, the first thing I thought was ‘what an absolute tEdited by spikyone on Monday 7th February 08:03
t’. How mind numbingly thick can you be firstly to put in your post code when it’s asking for a reg number (because those two are so easily confused) and secondly to do the same thing over and over again. I also find it amusing that people are so willing to go on TV to announce to the world just what dimwits they actually are: look at me, I got it just about as wrong as I possibly could and it’s so unfair. It’s always someone else’s fault…
Antony Moxey said:
spikyone said:
The guy who racked up huge fines by entering his postcode instead of his reg shows exactly how barrel-scraping the private parking industry is. An electronic system should not be able to accept a postcode since it's not a valid format for car registrations. How on earth did the company not realise that? It's clear that he was entitled to be in that car park too.
TBH when I saw that on the news this morning, the first thing I thought was ‘what an absolute tEdited by spikyone on Monday 7th February 08:03
t’. How mind numbingly thick can you be firstly to put in your post code when it’s asking for a reg number (because those two are so easily confused) and secondly to do the same thing over and over again. I also find it amusing that people are so willing to go on TV to announce to the world just what dimwits they actually are: look at me, I got it just about as wrong as I possibly could and it’s so unfair. It’s always someone else’s fault…
Cupramax said:
Antony Moxey said:
spikyone said:
The guy who racked up huge fines by entering his postcode instead of his reg shows exactly how barrel-scraping the private parking industry is. An electronic system should not be able to accept a postcode since it's not a valid format for car registrations. How on earth did the company not realise that? It's clear that he was entitled to be in that car park too.
TBH when I saw that on the news this morning, the first thing I thought was ‘what an absolute tEdited by spikyone on Monday 7th February 08:03
t’. How mind numbingly thick can you be firstly to put in your post code when it’s asking for a reg number (because those two are so easily confused) and secondly to do the same thing over and over again. I also find it amusing that people are so willing to go on TV to announce to the world just what dimwits they actually are: look at me, I got it just about as wrong as I possibly could and it’s so unfair. It’s always someone else’s fault…
Antony Moxey said:
spikyone said:
The guy who racked up huge fines by entering his postcode instead of his reg shows exactly how barrel-scraping the private parking industry is. An electronic system should not be able to accept a postcode since it's not a valid format for car registrations. How on earth did the company not realise that? It's clear that he was entitled to be in that car park too.
TBH when I saw that on the news this morning, the first thing I thought was ‘what an absolute tEdited by spikyone on Monday 7th February 08:03
t’. How mind numbingly thick can you be firstly to put in your post code when it’s asking for a reg number (because those two are so easily confused) and secondly to do the same thing over and over again. I also find it amusing that people are so willing to go on TV to announce to the world just what dimwits they actually are: look at me, I got it just about as wrong as I possibly could and it’s so unfair. It’s always someone else’s fault…
Assuming it was ANPR operated, they knew what car registrations were in the car park so shouldn't have allowed an incorrect reg (other car parks manage this). Even if it's not an ANPR car park, the system should've immediately thrown an error for an invalid format - and the parking company could've easily worked out what happened retrospectively from the cars that were parked and the fact that someone had entered details matching the postcode of a car that hadn't been properly entered. The PPC were just looking for a quick buck - nothing to do with parking management.
If he didn't know the first time that he'd entered the wrong information, he was likely to keep making the same mistake until someone told him he was making a mistake.
Nobody's perfect and your response comes across as being that of someone who's just as much of an absolute t
t. Are you honestly suggesting that people should be fined for making a genuine error that's caused no-one any inconvenience? Give your head a wobble.Edited by spikyone on Monday 7th February 10:19
spikyone said:
Not that it'll matter since most parking "management" involves installing entry and exit ANPR rather than any sort of active monitoring.
Came across this at a hospital recently. Taking my son in for an outpatient procedure and parked in a blue badge space. Parking system seems to have changed since I last parked in that car park. It's still pay on exit with blue badge holders parking for free. Before you used to hit the buzzer and give them your badge number and they'd let you out. You now have to register your badge which you can do by scanning your badge at the machine, although it's not actually obvious this has changed.Attended appointment, came out, went to machine and attempted to scan blue badge. No matter what I couldn't get it to scan so went back in to reception who put me through to the parking team on the phone. Blue badge registered, parking all taken care of and no need to do anything for any visit within the next six months.
A few weeks later I get a parking charge through the post. Appealed and got the response that I registered my blue badge after parking (unsure how I would have registered it before parking) but that they could see the badge was now registered and were cancelling the ticket as a good will gesture.
Something about that really sticks in my craw; as best I could tell I did what was required and the mistake is their end but apparently it's my fault and a 'good will' gesture on their part.
In fact I've just looked and I see local media has run a piece on the changes and blue badge holders being caught out.
Alex_225 said:
I'll take some positivity from this and say that at least the fines are going to be capped at £50.
I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
I agree on both parts. I mean these parking firms offer literally zero benefit to anyone. They are literally for making money out of people who more often than not just make a mistake.
I always preferred car parks that were pay on exit and hopefully this will encourage that method with these changes.
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