The war on motorists continues as an eye-watering £1.1billion worth of parking tickets were handed out by private companies last year, with the worst offenders revealed by MailOnline today.
Drivers have been hit by a 29 per cent annual rise in the number of parking tickets issued in the 12 months to the end of March, new figures show.
A record 11.1million tickets were handed out in that period, according to analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data.
Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total annual cost to drivers could exceed £1.1billion at the current rate. That is an average of more than 30,400 fines every day and is up from the total of 8.6million during the previous year. The total was 6.8million five years ago.
MailOnline can reveal that in the year to the end of March 2023, five companies are responsible for issuing almost half the 11.1million tickets on private land in the UK.
The biggest culprit was Parkingeye with 2.094million. It manages parking for shopping centres, councils, hospitals, hotels, tourist spots and places of worship.
Next was Euro Car Parks Ltd with 1.337million and Apcoa Parking (UK) Ltd with 773,956. Fourth was Horizon Parking Ltd with 693,537 and Smart Parking Ltd fifth with 568,347.
Five parking firms make up almost half of all 11.1million tickets issued on private land in the 12 months to the end of March
On the rise: Parking tickets issued by private companies across the UK over time, reaching a record in the last year
The trend of parking tickets is even more stark when looked at over the past decade and more. In the last financial year more than eleven million vehicle keeper records were bought from the DVLA by private parking firms. The companies use the data to send out demands for up to £100 for supposed infringements of parking rules on private property
Shocking figures released today show that ruthless private companies issued a record 11.1million tickets last year (file photo)
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, told MailOnline: ‘If the Prime Minister really wants to make motorists feel less got at, he would do well to crack on with implementing the long-promised reforms for regulating the private parking industry.
The top five private parking firms issuing fines
1. ParkingEye Ltd – 2,094,844
2. Euro Car Parks Ltd – 1,337,196
3. Apcoa Parking (UK) Ltd – 773,956
4. Horizon Parking Ltd – 693,537
5. Smart Parking Ltd – 568,347
Source: DVLA
‘It’s not as if he needs new powers – they’ve been on the statute book for four and a half years already.
‘The fact that parking firms are making record numbers of requests to the DVLA so they can issue “tickets” to millions of drivers is surely evidence enough of the need for action this day.
‘The last thing people striving to make ends meet under the cost of living crisis need is to find an unexpected demand for up to £100 dropping through the letterbox.’
Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.
In the last financial year more than eleven million vehicle keeper records were bought from the DVLA by private parking firms.
The companies use the data to send out demands for up to £100 for supposed infringements of parking rules on private property.
A long-awaited code of practice aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst behaviour was due to be introduced after legislation was passed in Parliament in March 2019.
The code was originally laid before Parliament in February 2022 but was withdrawn by the Government five months later following a legal challenge by parking companies.
A new call to evidence on the issue closes on October 8.
Mr Gooding said: ‘In the four and a half years since legislation was passed to create a single code of practice and address the worst excesses of private parking companies, as many as 36million private parking charges may have been issued.
‘The ballooning rate at which the volume of vehicle keeper requests continues to grow is a clear sign that something is seriously awry, creating distress for drivers and hassle for legitimate parking managers alike.
‘While some drivers will choose to flout the rules and risk being penalised, the vast majority are simply trying to do the right thing.
‘As the private parking minister recognised recently, most motorists do not choose to break the rules deliberately.
‘Amid the ongoing cost of living crisis it is implausible that millions of drivers would knowingly want to risk running up a charge for as much as £100.
It means parking firms issued demands for up to £1.1billion in fines (file photo)
Appealing a Parking Charge Notice
Motorists wishing to appeal a Parking Charge Notice should check first to ensure the parking company they were charged by is a member of an accredited trade association.
If the operator is a trade association member, appeal to the company about your ticket first. You can check if a firm is a member of the British Parking Association at britishparking.co.uk or email membership@britishparking.co.uk.
To give yourself the best chance of victory with an appeal get all the evidence that you can together on why the fine was applied incorrectly.
Present this explanation in careful detail, along with supporting photographs and, if needed, statements from others.
If you are unsuccessful the next port of call is the Parking on Private Lands Appeals service, known as POPLA.
Penalty Charge Notices or an Excess Charge Notices are different and usually issued by the council on public land, such as a high street or council car park.
‘Of course, Government needs to get the new private parking framework right after the false start it made last year, but surely that’s a task to be measured in weeks and months, not four and a half years and counting.’
The code of practice, which was initially due to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023, stated that the cap on tickets for some parking offences should be halved to £50.
Its withdrawal pending a review of charges will likely lead to a delay in implementation.
The introduction of the code was led by levelling up minister Dehenna Davison until she resigned earlier this month citing an ongoing battle with chronic migraines.
She was replaced by Jacob Young.
The DVLA figures show the number of records obtained from the agency by companies chasing car owners for alleged infringements in private car parks such as at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway service areas.
They do not include car parks run by councils.
Some 183 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records in the year to the end of March.
ParkingEye was the most active, buying 2.1million records.
The DVLA charges private companies £2.50 per record.
The agency says its fees are set to recover the cost of providing the information, and it does not make any money from the process.