As a local road user, I completely understand the concerns of drivers about extortionate charges from private car parks.
Private firms issue roughly 22,000 parking tickets every day, often adopting a system of misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees designed to extort money from motorists
I am pleased the Government is working to address this by finalising the Private Parking Code of Practice. Once introduced it will ensure fewer drivers are penalised unfairly and tackle issues like confusing and misleading signs, and a lack of grace periods. There will also be a new independent appeals service to allow drivers to more easily challenge an unfair parking charge.
To ensure the code is effective, a call for evidence has been launched which puts under consideration reducing the current £100 charge limit to £50, potentially banning debt recovery fees, or retaining existing limits.
I have already responded to the call for evidence with my views, given local cases I have worked on, however please do make sure your voice and experience is heard before the 8th October deadline.
It is so important that we ensure drivers are not taken advantage of – especially given the distress caused to so many people. It must be stopped.
