The Government has announced it will support new legislation aimed at raising standards in the private parking industry.
Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has campaigned to bring about better regulation for the parking industry, including naming and shaming unscrupulous car park operators in Newquay in a debate he led in Parliament.
Commenting on the announcement, Steve said:
“I am delighted to see that the Government has announced it will be supporting the Parking (Code of Practice) Private Members Bill introduced by Sir Greg Knight MP.”
“Evidence shows that, in total, nearly 10,000 people approached the Citizen’s Advice Bureau for advice on private parking tickets last year and parking firms are issuing almost 13 times more tickets than decade ago.”
“I am regularly approached by residents and visitors alike, who complain to me about inconsistent practices, substandard signage, confusing appeals processes and intimidating payment letters employed by some of these shady firms.”
“These proposals will be a real boost to law-abiding drivers in the continuing fight against rogue parking firms. I look forward to supporting them as they proceed through Parliament.”
Under the plans, which will deliver on a manifesto commitment to tackle rogue parking operators, a stringent new Code of Practice will be developed by the Secretary of State in conjunction with motorists groups and other experts.
Those falling foul of the rules would then be blocked from accessing driver data from the DVLA and issuing fines, effectively forcing them out of the industry.
These measures build on action the Government has already taken to tackle rogue private parking operators, including banning wheel clamping and towing, and over-zealous parking enforcement by councils and parking wardens.