Drivers ‘badly need’ Government code of conduct for parking firms
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said the industry’s code of practice ‘isn’t working’.
Claims that a parking company is handing tickets to drivers because of faulty payment machines have sparked fresh calls for a Government-backed code of conduct to be reintroduced.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said what is happening to users of Syston Town Square car park in Leicestershire shows the industry’s code of practice “isn’t working”.
A Bill to enable the introduction of a Government-backed code for private parking companies received royal assent under the Conservative government in March 2019.
It was withdrawn in June 2022 after a legal challenge by parking companies.
The code included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to £50, creating a fairer appeals system and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.
Two industry bodies, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC), jointly introduced their own code in June 2024.
Mr Williams said: “The situation at Syston Town Square car park further demonstrates that the industry’s own so-called code of practice isn’t working.
“We badly need the Government’s code to finally come into force to protect drivers.
“Sadly, even though an Act of Parliament was introduced in 2019, the official code has been delayed by nearly six years.”
The industry’s code was updated last month to tell signatories they should stop issuing tickets when drivers take too long to pay after arriving, as long as they pay before they leave.
This applies to privately owned car parks where fixed cameras monitor when cars enter and exit.
The BBC reported in November that a woman was being taken to court by a private parking company for £1,906 after poor mobile phone signal meant she repeatedly took more than five minutes to pay after entering a car park in Derby.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Motorists must be protected when using private car parks and we are determined to drive up standards in the industry.
“We know how much of an issue this is for drivers, which is why we will set out further details on the private parking code of practice as soon as possible.”
The BPA declined to comment.
