Call for tough regulations to curb practises of private parking firms

FRESH calls have been made to regulate rogue private parking firms that levy heavy fines and bombard motorists with 'threatogram' intimidating letters.

- by GUY HENDERSON Local Democracy Reporter

A parliamentary debate heard of cases where cowboy firms even install equipment in their car parks that is designed to fail and prevent drivers from paying to park.

Now MPs are calling for an independent regulator and a tough new code of practice. The debate was jointly led by Newton Abbot Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley and the Labour MP for Derby South, Baggy Shanker.

Mr Wrigley said he had spoken to a whistleblower who used to work for a private parking company, and had heard a number of complaints from people in Newton Abbot.

"They have created a culture of "charge first, think second" and their default position is to refuse appeals," he said. "They also use equipment that is designed to be awkward or even to fail, such as machines that will not take cash or card payments, and then they deny appeals, arguing that drivers could have paid by app.