Andrew Ranger MP backs plans to crackdown on unjust parking fines
Over 35 million people across the UK rely on their cars for everyday life – from commuting to caring responsibilities – but the fear of being hit with unfair parking charges has eroded trust between drivers and some operators.
To better support drivers in vulnerable or stressful situations, such as attending hospital appointments, a new rule is being considered that would uphold appeals where drivers had no reasonable choice but to breach parking terms.
Proposals will ensure fair treatment for drivers and introduce 'common-sense' standards across the industry, including clear signage and mandatory grace periods.
These measures will help prevent charges caused by issues like payment machine errors, accidental typos, or poor mobile signal.
Previous Governments have tried to legislate but never succeeded. The Parking Act 2019 was introduced as a Private Member's Bill in 2017, and the previous government's Private Parking Code of Practice was laid in 2022 but withdrawn later that year following a legal challenge from the parking industry.
Wrexham MP Andrew Ranger said: 'Too many of my constituents in Wrexham have been ripped off by rogue parking operators who make it difficult for motorists to comply with the terms and conditions and leave them open to parking charges and escalating costs.
"Labour is acting to change that. Protecting motorists and holding operators to account."
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At present, operators can avoid sanctions for poor practice, leaving motorists vulnerable to unfair or incorrect charges.
The new compliance framework will aim to ensure accountability. Under proposals, operators who breach the code may lose access to DVLA data required to issue parking charges.
The code will strike a balance - protecting motorists while enabling compliant operators to run efficient, value-for-money car parks.
It marks another step the government is taking to repair Britain's transport and save people time and money, following the allocation of £1.6 billion funding this year to help local authorities resurface roads and fix the equivalent of up to seven million extra potholes, with an additional £24 billion set aside to build new roads and keep drivers moving over the next five years.
The eight-week consultation also seeks views on:
• Appropriate caps for parking charges and debt recovery fees
• Improvements to second-stage appeals
• Requirements for operators to share data with government to inform future updates to the Code
The consultation is open until September 5 and is available on the Welsh Government website.
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