Private Parking Charges Set for Clampdown

Private car parks are to be ordered to display prices more clearly, introduce a fairer system for appealing fines and give a grace period for lateness as part of the Government’s crackdown on unfair operating practices.

The majority of fines will be capped at £50, a 50% drop from current three-figure levels, with more serious parking breaches – for example using a blue badge bay without the correct authority – attracting fines of between £70 and £100.

Motorists will still get a 50% discount if they pay within 14 days, as is the case with council fixed penalty notices, but will benefit from clearer signage which clearly shows the charges and terms and conditions. A driver will also get a five-minute cooling-off period in which they can change their mind about parking.

AA president Edmund King told the BBC: “For too long, those caught by private parking firms simply pay the charge to get rid of it. Thankfully these days are numbered.

“Drivers should feel confident that having a single Code of Practice and a new Appeals Charter will give them confidence to appeal and be properly heard.”

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes echoed those sentiments, saying: “This will undoubtedly make drivers’ experience of using private car parks fairer while at the same time force rogue operators to clean up their acts once and for all.”

The news comes as the number of private parking fines issued rose from around one million in 2010 to 8.4 million in 2019-20.

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