A recent report has revealed that drivers across the UK have been slapped with nearly £5 billion in parking fines since the government promised to crack down on exploitative private parking companies.
According to research by The Mail on Sunday, private parking firms have issued £4.8 billion in fines since 2019 when the government vowed to curb their excessive fees.
Back in 2019, Parliament passed a law aimed at stopping these companies from using aggressive tactics to extract money from drivers. But despite this, the report shows that private parking companies are on track to issue 13 million fines this year alone, averaging more than 35,000 fines per day.
The investigation also found that some of these companies are expected to double their profits this year, partly because they can issue higher fines than those in government or council-run parking areas. The 2019 law was supposed to introduce a code of practice that would cap fines at £50, require clearer signage, and create a fairer appeals system.
The code was meant to standardise how private parking companies operate across the UK, but it was withdrawn after being challenged by the parking firms themselves.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, commented: “The delays sparked by parking companies and debt recovery firms challenging the code have meant thousands upon thousands have had to pay fines which were totally disproportionate.
“And then there's those that have had horrible threats of bailiffs and court actions. We badly need to bring an end to £100 parking charge notices and people being hounded.”
The code was intended to be enforced by an independent body to ensure private parking companies followed the new rules and standards.
