Finally, A Law To Protect Drivers From Rogue Parking Companies
Thursday, 25. April 2019
After years of complaints about the dodgy practices used by rogue parking companies to impose fines of hundreds of pounds leading to severe hardship, the law is about to change.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2017-19 introduces new guidelines for private firms to follow and an independent appeals service
A new law is being introduced to regulate private parking companies and protect drivers from unfair fines.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2017-19, which has been given Royal Assent, will see private parking companies subjected to a new Code of Practice which aims at making the industry more consistent, transparent and easy to understand.
Private parking firms who breach the code could be punished by being barred from asking the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) for motorists’ details, making it much harder for them to enforce fines.
In addition, the Act will see the introduction of an independent appeals service, which drivers can use to challenge unjustified parking tickets.
Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak MP said: “For far too many drivers slapped with unjust fines, this largely unregulated industry feels like the Wild West.”
Sunak expressed his sympathy for drivers who face “awful treatment at the hands of dodgy parking firms”, condemning rogue companies for making “intimidating demands for payment” and having “baffling appeals processes”. He added that the act would “cut out rogue operators” and give drivers “greater protection”.
Already, the Act has won the backing of a number of motoring groups, including the AA and RAC. These organisations will now help the Government write the Code of Practice.
Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, commented: “For too long, some unscrupulous private parking operators have made drivers’ lives a misery with some questionable practices, which sent levels of trust in the sector plummeting.”
He added: “The code will create more consistent standards across the board, which should eliminate dubious practices and create a single, independent appeals process.”
Andrew Pester, chief executive of the British Parking Association, said the Act would “enable greater consistency and consumer confidence”, adding that his organisation would work to provide “a fair outcome for motorists, landowners and parking operators alike”.
How Will The Government Plug The Revenue Hole Created When Drivers Move Heavily From Fosil Fuels To Electric?
As we know as drivers move across to electric cars there will be a massive slump in revenue to the treasury, estimated to be £14 billion by 2040. There are a few proposals floating around that will allow the Government to recover this revenue, the most popular is a levy payable per mile.
Currently, the treasury receives 57.95 pence per litre added to the pump cost of petrol and diesel. In a report prepared by Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported by the Times, they suggest that the Government could try to compensate for future losses by increasing fuel duty for the remaining petrol and diesel cars.
On the other hand, they could impose higher surcharges on electricity but they point out that it would be better to apply mileage-based road charging. Their researchers calculated that a charge of 7.5 pence per mile introduced by 2030 would be enough to make up for lost duties, with the charge rising to 9.1 pence by 2040 as EV’s continue to grow in number.
In truth, this will cost the average driver £700 a year which is actually cheap. If you take a driver covering 9,000 miles per annum on average fuel consumption of 30mpg (petrol) the cost is currently £1,600 a year in fuel. So whilst we might immediately react in horror that wouldn’t be such a bad price to pay. The problem is, how will we manage the pence per mile charging?
Other major countries, including the US, China and Germany have been advised to consider the concept. In 2007 there was major public outcry when the Government announced proposals to introduce a mileage charge for using motorways at peak times. Not surprising as the charge was set at £1.34 per mile.
Clearly, something needs to be done to prepare for the massive changes in the way we get about the planet. The question is will we have the answers in time? There were a lot of people congregating in London over Easter that don’t think we will. Very worrying times! By Graham Hill
