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Parks

Government Proposes Crackdown on Rogue Private Parking Companies

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Plans to improve standards across the private parking industry were launched on Thursday, aiming to address "misleading tactics and confusing processes" used by rogue operators. The proposal involves a new rule that would uphold appeals where motorists had no reasonable choice but to breach parking terms, such as delayed hospital appointments. The measures will also apply to health workers who are equally victims of poor practices, where their NHS trust uses a private car parking provider at their hospital. The consultation, which began on Thursday, aims to develop a legislation-backed code of practice for the sector.

Key Takeaways:

  • The consultation will develop a legislation-backed code of practice for the private parking industry, tackling misleading tactics and confusing processes.
  • The new rule will uphold appeals where motorists had no reasonable choice but to breach parking terms, such as delayed hospital appointments.
  • The measures will apply to health workers who are equally victims of poor practices, where their NHS trust uses a private car parking provider at their hospital.
  • Britain's drivers were handed a record 14.4 million parking tickets by private companies in the year to the end of March, a 13% increase from the 12.8 million during the previous 12 months.
  • Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total daily cost to drivers may be near £3.9million at the current rate.
  • Low-paid NHS workers paid more than £70million in parking charges in 2023, NHS data showed in December.
  • Almost three-quarters of those working in hospital settings have to pay to park at work, according to a survey by GMB union of almost 2,000 of its members last year.
  • The Mirror has campaigned since 2017 for hospital car parking charges to be abolished for everyone - patients, staff and visitors.
  • A Bill to enable the introduction of a legislation-backed code of conduct received royal assent in 2019 but was withdrawn in 2022.

Statistics:

  • 14.4 million parking tickets were handed to Britain's drivers by private companies in the year to the end of March.
  • A 13% increase from the 12.8 million during the previous 12 months.
  • 6.8 million parking tickets in 2018/2019.
  • Each ticket can be up to £100.
  • The total daily cost to drivers may be near £3.9million at the current rate.
  • Low-paid NHS workers paid more than £70million in parking charges in 2023.

Sources:

  • PA analysis
  • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG)
  • Automobile Association (AA) head of roads policy Jack Cousens
  • Royal College of Nursing (RCN) associate director for employment relations Brian Morton
  • GMB National Officer Sharon Wilde
  • British Parking Association
  • NHS data
  • GMB union survey
  • The Mirror

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