Drivers will wake up £2,000 better off thanks to DVLA parking rule change
Private parking firms could face a DVLA ban in a bid to stop drivers being hit with £2,000 penalties. Private parking companies could be "cut off" from accessing the DVLA database to fine drivers, under a proposed shake-up of private parking.
Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government Baroness Taylor of Stevenage told the House that officials are examining ways to protect motorists while maintaining effective car park management as motorists continue to be clobbered.
"We understand the frustrations that motorists face and the complexities they deal with in dealing with private parking," Taylor said. Taylor said: "My Lords, we understand the frustrations and complexities that motorists face in dealing with private parking, so we are exploring all possible ways to give motorists the best protection and support.
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"We want to strike a balance between ensuring that parking charges and debt recovery fees are at a reasonable level and allowing parking operators to manage car parks effectively. We are planning to launch a consultation—I am not going to say “in due course”—during this year, which will include options for capping charges and debt recovery fees.
Taylor said: "I am grateful to my noble friend for the non-controversial Question of the day and for all the campaigning he has done on this issue; I know it is a great frustration to so many people. The problem was that, when the code was laid in 2022 as a result of the 2019 Act, there was a legal challenge and it had to be withdrawn.
"We are going out to consultation again, to make sure that we do the consultation properly and thoroughly. We will bring forward a further code of practice in due course, once that consultation has been done properly. I understand the point my noble friend is making. If he wants to put in a submission to the consultation, we would be very pleased to hear it."
" The industry did step up and produce its own code of practice, covering the whole private parking industry. That was a step forward, but we need to do what it says in the Act and introduce a government code of practice. We will get on with that as quickly as possible," she said.