The new private parking fine rules coming into force this year

In 2024, new rules affecting private parking fines are set to come into force.

Motorists who've been fined for parking have been informed that these new regulations will increase their chances of successfully appealing. ITV's Good Morning Britain detailed today how from October, there's a requirement for private parking firms to adhere to a fresh code of practice.

Delayed action in establishing such a code of practice by the Government has resulted in what some people describe as a 'wild west' as private companies have been doling out an average of over 35,000 parking tickets daily to drivers.

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The RAC Foundation, a motoring research charity, based on governmental data revealed that between April and December of last year, nearly 35,300 parking tickets were handed out daily to drivers by private parking firms totalling up to 9.7 million.

A previously proposed clampdown was scrapped in 2022 due to legal objection from the private parking sector. However, it's now been declared that new regulations will be enforced from this October.

The British Parking Association's code of practice includes uniform signage, an allowance of a 10-minute grace period for leaving and a single suite of appeal procedures.

Sharing his insights on this, GMB correspondent Nick Dixon said: "So many of us remember, come into car parks and we'll find that the signage can be really quite confusing. Perhaps ticket machines aren't working or not even here in some places.

"Or indeed, we don't have the right app installed on our phones to actually make payment. And before you know it, you can end up with one of these [fines] stuck to your windscreen, and you've got a 50 quid £100 fine, which is far from ideal.

"So these new rules, which will be in place later this year by the British Parking Association, as you say, hopefully we make it a bit more fair for drivers.

"It'll mean, first of all, a 10 minute grace period for when people are parking or indeed, leaving a car park. Signage would have to be consistent across all private car parks to avoid confusion and a single set of appeal rules to try and encourage more transparency, including a reduced fine if there's been any sort of genuine mistake with your ticket. It is about clearing up the confusion that exists at the moment when you're parking."

Each fine could set drivers back by up to £100, so in total, motorists might be losing around £3.5 million daily.

According to the RAC, the Government's withdrawal of a promised crackdown in 2022 following legal threat from the private parking industry may lead to feeling of betrayal among drivers. The Parking (Code of Practice) Bill that received Royal Assent to become law aimed to regulate private parking operators, who are often accused of using confusing signage, aggressive debt collection tactics, and levying unreasonable fees.

Operators of private car parks threatened legal action against the Government, leading to the withdrawal of the new regulatory framework after just six months in 2022.

From October onwards, all new car parks must comply with the new set of requirements or face expulsion from the British Parking Association (BPA), which is significant as membership is essential to access the DVLA's KADOE service for obtaining vehicle keeper details to issue fines.

Andrew Pester, Chief Executive of the BPA, expressed that the introduction of a unified industry-wide code of practice marks "a crucial milestone as we work closely with Government, consumer bodies and others to deliver fairer and more consistent parking standards for motorists. We will continue to push for a positive outcome for all."