A new package of measures will protect millions of drivers from unfair and extortionate charges with a new Code of Practice to help keep cowboy private parking firms in check..

Millions of motorists are set to benefit from a major government crackdown on rogue parking firms which will see fines slashed and a clearer and fairer appeals system created announced today (7 February 2022).

Operators that do not follow the rules could be barred from collecting fines from motorists, the government said.

The AA called the plans “much needed”.

Parking fines cut by up to 50% and capped at £50 – down from the current £100.

A 10-minute grace period before a late fine can be issued, and a requirement for parking firms to clearly display pricing and terms and conditions.

The excessive debt collection fees for late tickets, which can be as high as £70, will be banned.

Minister for Levelling Up Neil O’Brien said: “Private firms issue roughly 22,000 parking tickets every day, often adopting a system of misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees designed to extort money from motorists.

“[Our] new Code Of Practice will set out a clear vision with the interests of safe motorists at its heart, while cracking down on the worst offenders.”

Rogue firms which break the Code could be barred from requesting Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data, making them unable to pursue motorists for their charges through the post.

The government also said it planned to make it easier for drivers to challenge their ticket if there are genuine mitigating circumstances.

Under options set out in the Appeals Charter, motorists could be able to appeal their fine and see it reduced to a maximum of £20, or cancelled entirely if:

they have a mitigating reason for overstaying their parking ticket such as their vehicle breaking down
they have made a genuine innocent error, like keying in a digit in their number plate incorrectly
they have a valid ticket, permit or Blue Badge but failed to display it correctly

This could include having a valid ticket but failing to display it correctly, or keying in your number plate incorrectly by mistake at a parking machine.

Philip Lovell, who faces up to £2,000 pounds in fixed penalty notices, knows first hand the frustrations of the current system.

He joined a gym in Manchester last year where he is entitled to use the car park for free , but for the first few months he didn’t realise he was meant to enter his registration number at the machine and instead entered his postcode.

He is now facing eight fixed penalty notices of £170 each, with the threat it could rise to £250 each.

“I tried to explain to them what happened but there just to seems to be a ruthless pursuit and inflexibility,” he told the BBC.

“There’s no one to speak to [on the phone], all I can do is write to them which I have done numerous times.”

Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation said:

The publication of the government’s consultation document alongside the BSI’s draft code of practice is a major milestone in bringing the provisions of Sir Greg Knight’s Parking Act to life.
It is clearly important that we get the code of practice, and the framework within which it will sit, right, so I would encourage everyone with an interest to respond with their views.

Currently there are two parking trade associations, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC), each of which has a Code of Practice their members must abide by.