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More private parking fines issued than ever before
Date: 16 May 2019 | Author: Sean Keywood
The number of parking tickets issued to drivers on private land has hit a new annual high, according to the RAC Foundation.
Its analysis of DVLA data has shown that in the 2018-19 financial year 6.8 million sets of vehicle keeper records were released to car parking management companies - almost all of which the RAC Foundation says will have been used to pursue motorists for alleged infringements.
This is 20% higher than the 5.65 million sets of records released to parking firms in the previous financial year.
However, the industry could be set for change following the passing into law of Sir Greg Knight MP's Parking (Code of Practice) bill in March. The new legislation lays the framework for the establishment of a single, government-sanctioned, industry-wide code of practice; a single independent appeals service; and an independent ombudsman to oversee the behaviour of the parking industry.
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: "These staggeringly high numbers stand as a vindication of the urgent need for the measures in Sir Greg Knight's act to be put in place.
"Businesses who employ private companies to manage their car parks should be taking a close look at how they are operating, the implications for the drivers who will often be their own customers and, ultimately, what that means for their own reputation.
"We have never advocated a parking free-for-all, but for a system that is clear, transparent and fair for drivers and landowners alike."
