The two trade associations representing UK parking operators have expressed serious concern following publication of the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government’s response to a recent consultation to the enforcement framework for the forthcoming new parking code.
The Parking (Code of Practice) has been designed to provide framework that enables a standard setting body, single mandatory code of practice and independent appeals service.
However, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC) said the government’s response in its current form was not sustainable and would negatively impact the country’s economic recovery, lead to higher parking charges for responsible motorists and encourage a return of rogue operators incentivised to operate without requesting DVLA data as part of their enforcement operations.
Much of the BPA and IPC’s concern centres on the government’s decision to ignore the need for the parking charge to deter “selfish parking”.
They said a deterrent level of parking charge for motorists who park selfishly, coupled with an Appeals Charter, as put forward by the industry, was necessary for effective management of private land around shops, hospitals, residential developments, major leisure venues, centres of education and transport hubs.
According to the BPA, over 80% of the public supported the industry’s approach, which was put forward as part of the BSI and MHCLG consultations to meet the specific objectives originally set out in Sir Greg Knight’s Private Members Bill.
The BPA and the IPC both welcomed the introduction of the Parking Code of Practice Act 2019 to further improve the private parking industry but said that “ignoring overwhelming public support for fair and proportionate parking charges render[ed] the consultation process completely redundant”.
And while both associations said they understood the government’s desire to put a cap on parking charges levied by the private parking companies and the popular demands to align them with the penalty charges used in the public sector, they believed the overall proposal was “unworkable”.
The BPA warned that car park owners may now be forced to charge for previously free parking in order to cover their costs “controlling abuse by selfish and irresponsible motorists”.
In a statement the BPA said: “It is incomprehensible to propose reducing them and especially at a time when there is more than enough evidence to show that the statutory penalty charges in the public sector are an insufficient deterrent.
“Witness the events of last summer at Britain’s tourism hotspots where motorists in their droves almost universally ignored parking controls.
“It would be unfortunate if the laudable intentions of Sir Greg Knight, and the significant collaboration between government and the parking sector these past two years led to a significant decline in compliance with existing parking rules, and higher parking charges for most motorists who will be at the mercy of more rogue operators.
“That cannot be the government’s intention and we call upon it to rethink its proposals.”
