Parking fines surge by 50%

Data released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has revealed a 50% increase in parking tickets issue by private companies, with 30,000 tickets being issued each day.

It found that a record 2.7 million tickets were issued between April and June this year, an increase from 1.8 million in the same period in 2021.

This comes after the government failed to impose the Private Parking Code of Practice, which was designed to end some of the worst practices in the private parking sector and reduce the maximum penalty from £100 to £50.

As it stands, the £100 penalty could remain in place until next year.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “The new private parking code of practice was designed specifically to make things fairer for drivers and end some of the worst practices in the sector. It’s deeply disappointing that the code has been temporarily withdrawn which now almost certainly means yet more delays in it being introduced. Drivers have a right to feel infuriated.

“The fact that parking companies take issue with the capping of charge notices and debt recovery fees shows precisely why both the code and the cap are needed. For too long, some companies have been allowed to prey mercilessly on drivers who might make an honest mistake and then have to face both over-zealous enforcement and threatening debt recovery letters. The government must stand up to these companies and get the code over the line, so we finally have fair and transparent enforcement in the private parking sector.”