private vehicle parking firms will not be able to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) in excess of £50 under new guidelines being set out by the Government.
The vehicle parking Code of practice – which the department for Levelling Up, housing and communities passed into law back in 2019, before finalising the content of the code – will also see vehicle parking debt collectors banned from charging additional fees in instances where PCNs are not paid.
Parking on the road: where you can and can’t park your automobile in the UK
The announcement, which applies to private automobile parks in England (excluding London) and Wales, also confirmed that the code will include a compulsory 10-minute grace period for motorists returning to their automobile after their vehicle parking session has expired, along with a five-minute cooling off period for chauffeurs to enter a automobile park and consider its terms and conditions before deciding whether or not to purchase a ticket.
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Private operators will also be required to stick to improved signage standards, making it clear what the conditions of vehicle parking there are and how chauffeurs can pay. The government will also crack down on firms using pseudo-legal language to intimidate customers when issuing PCNs.
Motoring groups welcomed the code, with the RAC saying it would “undoubtedly improve the experiences for chauffeurs and create a much much more level playing field, decreasing hassle and tension while at the same time forcing rogue operators to clean up their acts”.
The organisation’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, added: “Since clamping was banned on private land, there has been a shift to ticketing instead, with the number of vehicle parking charge notices being issued rising year-on-year at alarming levels.
“While some of these are justified, others are not and sadly in numerous cases chauffeurs simply pay up in worry of the consequences, particularly given that follow-up letters can use threatening and intimidating language. RAC research found that nearly three-quarters of chauffeurs wanted the industry to be brought under some form of regulation.”
Have you been hit with a fine from a private vehicle parking firm in the last 12 months? tell us in the comments below…
