The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sold more than 1.7 million drivers’ details to private parking firms between April and June. This compares to 1.06 million over the same period in 2016.
The vast increase has sparked concerns that, if this trend continues, there will be a 64% increase in fines annually. That would mean a total of 7 million sets of details being shared, compared to the 4.7 million released during the 2016/17 financial year.
Additional income
The DVLA charges £2.50 per record. That means it made the tidy sum of £4.35 million between April and June. The figure equates to around 19,000 tickets being issued each day, or one parking fine every 4.5 seconds.
The government steps in
The three private parking firms who bought the most records were ParkingEye, which bought 570,000, Smart Parking, at 125,000, and Euro Car Parks, with a total of 118,000 records. By being members of a trade association, such as the British Parking Association or Parking Community, such firms are legally allowed to purchase the driver information that they need in order to issue fines.
The staggering new figures have led to support for the introduction of laws to ensure that private parking firms are regulated in a transparent and consistent way. The aim is to protect drivers from being caught out by firms that aren’t explaining their parking terms clearly enough.
Conservative MP Greg Knight tabled a bill last week proposing a code of conduct for private parking firms. Self-regulation has evidently not worked, with drivers who park on private land facing hugely inconsistent procedures and standards.
Quite often, parking charge notices are issued on dubious grounds, with people not understanding what it is that they did in order to receive one. This adds stress and confusion on top of concern about having to pay the fine.
Do you know your notices?
Drivers can receive two types of parking notice: penalty charge notices, and parking charge notices. These look very similar, but aren’t the same thing.
Both are yellow in colour, affix to the windscreen and carry the same message. However, a penalty charge notice is an official parking fine from the police or council. These are issued for offences such as parking on double yellow lines.
A parking charge notice is an invoice from a private parking firm. These could be given to you in a number of locations, including supermarket and hospital car parks.
To pay or not to pay?
If you find a parking charge notice on your windscreen, and don’t understand why it has been issued, you might not have to pay it.
First, take photographs of where you’re parked, any signs that are around and anything else that is present that you think may make it an unfair charge. This way, you have evidence to support your decision to not pay, should you need it.
If you’ve parked blocking an entrance, or stayed for longer than you were supposed to, you should pay the charge, just as you would if it were a penalty charge notice.
With so much confusion around which charges should be paid and when, it’s not surprising that the number of tickets being given out is rising. The causes of issuing notices are becoming increasingly blurred. As such, it’s certainly possible that some private companies are trying their luck, hoping that drivers will pay the fee without question.
A consistent code of conduct for private parking firms would definitely help to keep everything fair and in order. It would benefit drivers by removing confusing grey areas. As such, PetrolPrices is delighted to see the government finally stepping in to address the matter.
Do you think the government should regulate the conduct of private parking firms? Will this help or will it merely add another layer of bureaucracy to the whole industry? Leave a comment to let us know your views.
Dear All,
I work for a Private Parking enforcement company – I can tell you that I have been spat at, threatened with knives, had bottles thrown at me, and regularly insulted and abused, and why, because people choose to park where they are not allowed, and simply don’t like it when they are caught – Usually it is the very people who the reason why parking enforcement is needed on the specific site that are the root cause of the problem, blocking access for emergency vehicles, rubbish collection lorries and other residents spaces.
Having said that I try hard to MANAGE the car parks, whereas I have heard of other Wardens hiding around corners, and setting all manner of traps to catch people, certainly I have received some pretty unwelcome encouragement myself from the Boss to do things I consider totally inappropriate – As far as I see it if someone has good reason to park and by doing so they are not affecting anyone else or access, or safety a practice of using good common sense is called for – A “Shoot to kill” policy is wrong and counter-productive – BUT LET ME SAY THIS – If you are issued with a PCN, do not attack the Warden (they are only doing a job), if you politely ask them to explain to you why they have issued to you a PCN, and do not threaten the Warden with death by a thousand cuts, I suggest most of the time you might find they will rescind the PCN on the spot, be aggressive and you have no chance ! – TALKING always solves the problem, explaining why someone should not park in a given place or why only one car per flat is allowed is ALWAYS meet with understanding.
The Local Planners have much to answer for, when they allow 30 flats to be built with only 6 car spaces (I have Sites I monitor like this and worse) it really does not take too much intelligence to work out there will be problems. As soon as the Council charge to take rubbish to the Dump, Fly-tipping increases, go figure !! Wars are fought over car spaces, which are about the most contentious issues I have ever experienced…
One ridiculous situation is the issuance of PCN after PCN, leaving a vehicle with 10, 20, 30 tickets, there is in my opinion nothing reasonable about doing this, if just one PCN was sufficient to bring the case to Court within 8 weeks why issue 30 tickets ?? The problem is the Debt Collection Procedure is ineffective and unproductive, and as with anything that involves Courts and Lawyers overly complicated with only the Courts and Lawyers benefiting financially, as always the majority of sensible, decent people are paying for the few who just “play the system”, if a PCN remains unpaid after 30 days there should be a fast-track procedure though the Courts to batch together claims I have examples of PCN being in the “Collection” process for over 6 months, this simply does not help anyone. I have no doubt there are bad Operators out there, but it seems to me that the Regulation is pretty stringent and so long as there guidelines are adhered to, if you are issued with a PCN, there is little defence, so pay it before the cost gets any worse. You were in the wrong, you got caught – If you don’t want to pay expensive parking fees don’t park where you shouldn’t – Simple.
Here’s how to get rid of Parking Enforcement Companies – If everyone parked correctly then no PCNs would be issued and the Parking enforcement companies would not make any money and quickly go out of business – Then your problem solves itself !
So next time you see a Warden issuing you a PCN, have a chat with them, you might find they have every sympathy and are trying to be reasonable under very difficult circumstances….
It is easy to identify rogue companies by comparing consensus numbers of people cheated by them versus other companies. Just like with all offenders – when it is a one-off dispute it is likely to be either side which is at fault but many witnessing victims can highlight obvious injustice or cheating.
I will not pay these thugs parking enforcement companies are just like the wheel campers . DVLA is wrong to sell our personal details to this scum.contact your mp complaining about this
Although I put the required fee and registration number into the pay point ,and left the car park well within the time purchased I am being pursued by Parking Eye ,who,several weeks after the event are demanding to see a parking ticket their machine failed to deliver in the first place!!!
My main concern is where is this data protection crap when our details are being sold all over the place, what a load of bollocks.
parking eye even gavea tickert to person with UN-laissez-passer.jpg
A United Nations laissez-passer (UNLP or LP) is a travel document issued by the United Nations under the provisions of Article VIII of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations[
The UNLP is a valid travel document, which can be used like a national passport (in connection with travel on official missions only). However, UNLP holders often encounter immigration officials who are unfamiliar with the document and require them to show a national passport in addition.[4] As with national passports, some countries/regions accept it for entry without the need for a visa (e.g., Kenya, United Kingdom, Schengen Area, Lebanon, etc.), while other countries may require a visa before it can be accepted for entry to the country (depending on the nationality of the UNLP holder).
Most officials hold a blue UNLP (up to D-1 level), which is similar in legal status to a service passport (however, diplomatic status may be conferred on the holder if the visa issued in the UNLP is a diplomatic visa). A red UNLP is issued to particularly high officials (D-2 and above), and depending on their rank, this may confer diplomatic privileges and the red UNLP may
so now in the hands of home office, as well uk courts don,t seem to understand united nations passport
Dear All,
I work for a Private Parking enforcement company – I can tell you that I have been spat at, threatened with knives, had bottles thrown at me, and regularly insulted and abused, and why, because people choose to park where they are not allowed, and simply don’t like it when they are caught – Usually it is the very people who the reason why parking enforcement is needed on the specific site that are the root cause of the problem, blocking access for emergency vehicles, rubbish collection lorries and other residents spaces.
Having said that I try hard to MANAGE the car parks, whereas I have heard of other Wardens hiding around corners, and setting all manner of traps to catch people, certainly I have received some pretty unwelcome encouragement myself from the Boss to do things I consider totally inappropriate – As far as I see it if someone has good reason to park and by doing so they are not affecting anyone else or access, or safety a practice of using good common sense is called for – A “Shoot to kill” policy is wrong and counter-productive – BUT LET ME SAY THIS – If you are issued with a PCN, do not attack the Warden (they are only doing a job), if you politely ask them to explain to you why they have issued to you a PCN, and do not threaten the Warden with death by a thousand cuts, I suggest most of the time you might find they will rescind the PCN on the spot, be aggressive and you have no chance ! – TALKING always solves the problem, explaining why someone should not park in a given place or why only one car per flat is allowed is ALWAYS meet with understanding.
The Local Planners have much to answer for, when they allow 30 flats to be built with only 6 car spaces (I have Sites I monitor like this and worse) it really does not take too much intelligence to work out there will be problems. As soon as the Council charge to take rubbish to the Dump, Fly-tipping increases, go figure !! Wars are fought over car spaces, which are about the most contentious issues I have ever experienced…
One ridiculous situation is the issuance of PCN after PCN, leaving a vehicle with 10, 20, 30 tickets, there is in my opinion nothing reasonable about doing this, if just one PCN was sufficient to bring the case to Court within 8 weeks why issue 30 tickets ?? The problem is the Debt Collection Procedure is ineffective and unproductive, and as with anything that involves Courts and Lawyers overly complicated with only the Courts and Lawyers benefiting financially, as always the majority of sensible, decent people are paying for the few who just “play the system”, if a PCN remains unpaid after 30 days there should be a fast-track procedure though the Courts to batch together claims I have examples of PCN being in the “Collection” process for over 6 months, this simply does not help anyone. I have no doubt there are bad Operators out there, but it seems to me that the Regulation is pretty stringent and so long as there guidelines are adhered to, if you are issued with a PCN, there is little defence, so pay it before the cost gets any worse. You were in the wrong, you got caught – If you don’t want to pay expensive parking fees don’t park where you shouldn’t – Simple.
Here’s how to get rid of Parking Enforcement Companies – If everyone parked correctly then no PCNs would be issued and the Parking enforcement companies would not make any money and quickly go out of business – Then your problem solves itself !
So next time you see a Warden issuing you a PCN, have a chat with them, you might find they have every sympathy and are trying to be reasonable under very difficult circumstances….
It is easy to identify rogue companies by comparing consensus numbers of people cheated by them versus other companies. Just like with all offenders – when it is a one-off dispute it is likely to be either side which is at fault but many witnessing victims can highlight obvious injustice or cheating.
I will not pay these thugs parking enforcement companies are just like the wheel campers . DVLA is wrong to sell our personal details to this scum.contact your mp complaining about this
Although I put the required fee and registration number into the pay point ,and left the car park well within the time purchased I am being pursued by Parking Eye ,who,several weeks after the event are demanding to see a parking ticket their machine failed to deliver in the first place!!!
My main concern is where is this data protection crap when our details are being sold all over the place, what a load of bollocks.
parking eye even gavea tickert to person with UN-laissez-passer.jpg
A United Nations laissez-passer (UNLP or LP) is a travel document issued by the United Nations under the provisions of Article VIII of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations[
The UNLP is a valid travel document, which can be used like a national passport (in connection with travel on official missions only). However, UNLP holders often encounter immigration officials who are unfamiliar with the document and require them to show a national passport in addition.[4] As with national passports, some countries/regions accept it for entry without the need for a visa (e.g., Kenya, United Kingdom, Schengen Area, Lebanon, etc.), while other countries may require a visa before it can be accepted for entry to the country (depending on the nationality of the UNLP holder).
Most officials hold a blue UNLP (up to D-1 level), which is similar in legal status to a service passport (however, diplomatic status may be conferred on the holder if the visa issued in the UNLP is a diplomatic visa). A red UNLP is issued to particularly high officials (D-2 and above), and depending on their rank, this may confer diplomatic privileges and the red UNLP may
so now in the hands of home office, as well uk courts don,t seem to understand united nations passport