Private parking companies in Britain issued a staggering and unprecedented number of penalty tickets over the last year, with new government data revealing a system in crisis. A record 15.9 million tickets were handed out by private businesses in the year to the end of September, marking a sharp 17 per cent increase from the 13.6 million issued the previous year.
A Costly Burden for Motorists
With each ticket carrying a potential cost of up to £100, the collective daily financial burden on drivers could reach an astonishing nearly £4.4 million at the current rate of issue. Simon Williams, the RAC's head of policy, stated that the dramatic increases indicate 'something must be going badly awry' with the private parking system. He emphasised that most motorists actively try to avoid receiving tickets, making the soaring numbers particularly concerning.
The industry has long faced criticism for a range of aggressive tactics. Drivers and motoring groups have accused some firms of using:
- Misleading and confusing signage.
- Aggressive debt collection processes.
- Unreasonable fee structures.
Common complaints include tickets issued due to malfunctioning payment machines and cameras that penalise drivers for extremely short stays. Some motorists have been fined for leaving a car park after just six minutes, often after simply changing their mind about parking.
The Delayed Code of Practice
Despite repeated government promises to curb predatory operators, fines have skyrocketed by more than 90 per cent in recent years. A potential solution, the Private Parking Code of Practice Bill, received royal assent in March 2019. This code promised major reforms, including:
- Halving the maximum fine for most offences to £50.
- Creating a fairer, independent appeals system.
- Banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.
It was slated to be implemented across Britain by the end of 2023. However, following a legal challenge by parking companies, the Conservative government withdrew the code in June 2022. The current Labour Government held a new consultation on the code, which closed in September, leaving drivers in limbo awaiting its outcome.
Five Firms Dominate a Multi-Million Pound Industry
The analysis of parking tickets is based on the number of vehicle keeper records purchased from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Private companies pay £2.50 per record to chase owners for alleged infringements in car parks at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway services.
The data reveals a highly concentrated market. In the period from April to September 2024, just five parking management businesses were responsible for issuing 45 per cent of all tickets:
- ParkingEye (1,129,000 tickets)
- Euro Car Parks (892,000 tickets)
- Horizon Parking (440,000 tickets)
- Smart Parking (424,000 tickets)
- APCOA Parking (367,000 tickets)
Between June and September, the rate reached roughly 48,000 tickets per day. ParkingEye was the most active in requesting DVLA data, buying 643,000 records in the last quarter alone.
In the absence of a government-mandated code, industry bodies introduced their own joint code of practice in June 2023. However, motoring groups criticised it for lacking crucial consumer protections like a cap on charges and the removal of added debt recovery fees.
The human impact of these practices is starkly illustrated by cases like that of Rebecca Elmes and Aaron Rayment-Davis. The couple received a £100 fine from ParkingEye at an NHS urgent care centre in Romford, east London, after staying for only five minutes. They had left immediately upon being told the clinic could not treat Mr Rayment-Davis's ear infection. Despite appealing, they were forced to pay a reduced £60 fee to avoid the full penalty.
With 188 different firms requesting DVLA data in the last quarter, the scale of the industry is vast. The RAC's Simon Williams concluded, 'Drivers need to know they're being treated fairly whenever they use a private car park. The outcome of the latest consultation can't come soon enough.'
