Andy Burnham has announced major rule changes in a bid to end “rip off” parking charges by giving motorists new rights to challenge unfair fines.
Under a new private parking code of practice, as a motorist in England, Scotland and Wales, you will be given 10 minutes to leave car parks without facing a penalty once your session ends.
Drivers will also get a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park.
Charges will be axed on appeal for honest mistakes, including stopping briefly to check directions, medical emergencies, breakdown, or broken ticket machine.
Burnham said that if you are “a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine.”
“These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them. We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off”, Burnham said.
The new rules will give drivers:
- A guaranteed five-minute period to decide whether to park
- A 10-minute window to leave without facing a penalty
- Cancellation of charges for issues drivers can’t control, such as vehicle breakdowns in car parks
- Cancellation of charges for honest mistakes such as stopping to check directions, as well as for medical emergencies or broken ticket machines
- Maximum charges of £20 on appeal for slip-ups such as forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle registration, or forgetting to confirm the registration in the machine when parking
- A freeze on the maximum parking charge at £100, which is the same limit as the current private parking Code of Practice
How many parking tickets were issued last year?
Previous figures from the RAC have shown that in the last financial year, 16.9million parking tickets were issued by private companies, which was a sharp rise of 17% on the previous year.
Meanwhile, ministers also promised to crack down on dodgy second-hand car dealers under the new plans.
These car dealers wind back odometers to disguise a vehicle’s true mileage.
“Parking should be straightforward, not another everyday hassle”, Angela Rayner, the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Secretary, said.
“These changes mean drivers get a fairer deal, protected time to park and leave without fear of being unfairly charged, and confidence that private parking providers are held to a higher standard. It’s yet another step forward in this government’s plan to take the stress out of everyday life and ease the pressure on people’s pockets.”
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA said: “After seven long years, drivers finally have something which could offer them better protections against the worst private parking operators. For too long, many private parking operators have aggressively attacked drivers to the point where many simply pay up if they receive a charge from one on the doorstep.”
“While this is a good first step, there is still a huge amount of work to do, such as tackling the scourge of debt recovery fees. Ultimately, we need to stop charges being issued in the first place, especially where the driver has done nothing wrong.
“Until now, the balance has always felt in favour of the parking firms. We are hopeful that further measures can be added onto this foundation, offering better safeguards to drivers.”