Car parks must prove they cancel fines, says RAC

Ever wondered whether car parks actually repeal any of the thousands of fines they issue? After claims that this is definitely the case, car park operators have been called upon to publish data to prove they are treating drivers fairly.

The RAC says operators must provide “full and transparent” information regarding how many fines are issued and what proportion of them are cancelled following complaints. At the time of writing, neither of the big car parking industry trade bodies – the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC) – actively publish data on complaints.

Furthermore, two of the main appeal bodies that were set up and paid for by the industry to process complaints are infamous for taking time to provide their insights. The BPA’s Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) service is still to publish its findings from 2024, for example.

In 2023, POPLA says 43 per cent of appeals were upheld, but look closer and it’s a little more nuanced than that. Of those that appealed, 17 per cent went to adjudication and 25 per cent were simply cancelled by the operator with no contest. However, four in five (78 per cent) of cases reaching the adjudication stage were dismissed.

With RAC research showing that private car parking firms are submitting almost 40,000 DVLA vehicle keeper requests per day – almost all of these likely resulting in a fine being sent out – head of policy Simon Williams said, “Stories of drivers being treated poorly are all too common”.

Williams called on the industry to publish complaints data in full, saying: “We believe the industry should have to publish the volume of complaints made to operators, including the reasons tickets were issued and the nature of the complaints, and whether or not they were cancelled.”

This comes soon after the Government said it plans to consult on a new state-backed Private Parking Code of Practice; there were plans to introduce one years ago, but its implementation was prevented by a legal challenge from car parking firms. The industry has since introduced its own code but, as you might expect, this leans heavily in the favour of operators.

While the Government says that its plans will “tackle misleading tactics and confusing processes, bringing vital oversight and transparency to raise standards across the board”, there are concerns that it doesn’t go far enough – particularly in the case of limiting maximum fines. 

The AA has since accused Labour of “bending the knee to the private parking industry,” while the BPA told Auto Express, “Without proper enforcement, parking quickly becomes a free-for-all, with some people taking advantage at the expense of others.”

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