Government CoP Proposals Out Today

[lookinforinfo]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crackdown-on-private-car-parking-firms-will-eliminate-unfair-fines

 

The Government seem to think that the new proposals will eliminate rogue parking operators. As if. 

 

Among the proposals are capping the maximum charge at £80 with lesser misdemeanours charged  at £40.

The good thing is that it will mean the parking crooks will have to produce new signage to reflect the new charges and they should also have to remove the proviso that they can add extra charges above the cap.

 

There is an increase in charges to £120 for those parking in places designated for the disabled or ambulances.

 

The Government CoP will be mandatory thus eliminating the need for the BPA and IPC codes.

 

There will also be a  mandatory Appeals section for motorists to go to rather than deal with the current kangaroo courts [yes that includes yours BPA]. 

 

This Appeals centre can quash the charge [called fine in the Government pamphlet!] especially where the motorist had a valid ticket, permit or blue badge , but failed to display it correctly; miscued their registration number or there were mitigating circumstances  like a mechanical breakdown.

as a side note it means that signage will have to be further amended to eliminate the rule that tickets must be displayed correctly in the windscreen.

 

There will be a 5 minute grace period on arrival for motorists to read the T&Cs to determine if they want to stay, followed by a mandatory 10 minute grace period on leaving.

 

They intend to crackdown on threatening letters and pseudo legal language that could intimidate motorists into paying. {One would hope that this would include erroneously including Parking Eye v Beavis in every letter.]

 

The proposals are up for discussion with further suggestions to come from interested parties until the 12th October 2020.

Might I suggest that CAG should formulate our own suggestions since I cannot see that the changes mooted by the Government go far enough.

 

[AndyOrch]

Almost got through the full article without seeing the word " fine or Offence " ...then they slipped them in towards the end.

[lookinforinfo]

Yes you would have thought that the Government would know not only the difference but also the significance of using the word fine when parking companies are involved.

[lookinforinfo]

To start the ball rolling on suggestions for making it a more level playing field for motorists in private car parks I would like an end to the use of the scrotes at airports and stations etc where Bye LAws are already in place.

It is easy to see why airports etc. prefer using parking companies since they get a percentage from the tickets while any monies collected from Bye laws go to the Government.  One would have thought that the Government would find that agreeable to rescind parking companies ability to issue tickets while the Government.

[brassnecked]

The consultation will be available until October, so we can go and mention the "F" word that DX picks up on in most new threads. some good suggestions, but it needs to go further.  Definitely remove the Simple Simon cash machine from Airports, as in Invoice for stopping at pedestrian Crossing.

[comebackjimmy]

I would advocate that the word "Fine" be removed from these companies communications of any sort.   That would pull in some of their sting.

[AndyOrch]

Pull in all the sting.......speculative parking Invoice does not quite hit the spot as " Fine " 

[lookinforinfo]

Another requirement should be that when a parking company has been banned from using the DVLA then while they are banned, they cannot issue parking tickets during that time. Neither  can they pursue any motorist  after the DVLA reinstates its status for any tickets that were issued during  theuir shutdown-for instance if they were a bit slow in shutting down a car park when first banned.

[comebackjimmy]

I think five minutes grace period at the start is not enough.  In some cases you could use all of that time just finding somewhere to park and finding the signs and then reading them.  It should be ten in and ten out.

[brassnecked]

15 as once back at car it might take 10 minutes to get out many Invoices garnered as 20 minute queue to get out.