Parking Enforcement 'Out of Control'

Growing parking enforcement in private car parks and the huge amounts of money being taken from drivers has reached 'epidemic' level, according to the AA.

More than one in 10 drivers say they have been issued a private parking ticket over the last year and tens of thousands of people have had their car clamped or removed from private car parks.

Whilst the AA accepts that some enforcement is justified, they say the scale of private enforcement and level of punishment meted out by an army of private enforcers is frightening and often borders on criminality.

Private enforcers can either wheel clamp and remove or issue 'parking tickets', usually by accessing the car owners name and addresses from the DVLA's vehicle database.

There are no general regulations for parking control in private car parks, as it is regarded as a civil matter.

The motoring organisation believe the latest Home Office proposals, to license wheel-clamping businesses in addition to the clampers themselves being licensed, will not work.

The AA does not believe that the the British Parking Association can regulate a private parking enforcement industry which is out of control. They feel that the only way forward would be to make wheel clamping illegal, as it is in Scotland.

The AA's Head of Public Affairs, Paul Watters said: "Self-regulation is not working as there are too many firms and individuals operating in this often shady area.

"The trade body members making and enforcing the rules are trying to rein in something that is spiralling out of control.

"Private parking enforcement is big business generating millions of pounds and no-one notices and acts when the rules are broken. The public have absolutely no protection if a private parking firm acts unfairly – it is a civil matter and no-one is interested in helping."

He continued: "It is time for regulation of private enforcement through local authorities who can licence the land where parking is to be controlled – and we need a completely independent appeal system, perhaps through the parking adjudication services which already exist."

Patrick Troy, Chief Executive of the trade body British Parking Association, said their scheme is not perfect, they would welcome working with the AA further on the concerns they raise in their consultation response.

He said: "We have invited them to join our board which oversees the scheme but they have resolutely refused to do so. The AA has not produced a credible plan to address these issues."

(GK/BMcC)