‘Rip-off private parking fines needs to go’, Catherine Atkinson MP tells Parliament
Catherine Atkinson MP has today told the House of Commons that rip off private parking charges needs to be tackled by the upcoming Private Parking Code of Practice.
The new Labour MP’s intervention follows reports of Derby drivers receiving fines for not paying for parking within as little as five minutes, including at Excel Parking on Copeland Street.
Currently, private parking companies remain largely unregulated by the government, although are required to abide by the code of conducts of their trade associations.
The new Code of Practice seeks to put an end to poor behaviour from private parking companies through regulating the sector and introducing statutory standards of private parking management and operations.
Following her remarks to Parliament, Catherine Atkinson, the MP for Derby North, said:
“I’m frustrated on behalf of constituents who’ve shared their experiences of being fined for not managing to pay for parking within five minutes. Let’s be clear - this isn’t about drivers refusing to pay. Five minutes is often just not long enough for people to pay, particularly when machines are broken and parking apps and systems are overly complicated.
“Despite this being a failure of the parking companies’ own processes, it’s drivers who are being hit with extortionate fines for not managing to beat this totally unnecessary race against the clock set by parking companies themselves.
“It’s completely unacceptable for private parking companies to penalise people for their own system flaws. I’m proud that this Labour government is on the side of motorists and is taking action to restore common sense to parking. The new Private Parking Code of Practice will tackle these unfair practices and hold parking companies accountable for poor behaviour.”
The new Derby North MP has been campaigning for the revival of city centres and the high street, including holding a debate in Parliament on the issue.
A report, published last week by Parliament’s Built Environment Committee, identified that ‘high streets will only thrive if people can get to them easily and safely. Access by car and sufficient parking are necessary for commercial sustainability’.
Catherine Atkinson MP will continue to stand up for local drivers and businesses by pushing to end unfair behaviour from private parking companies, alongside campaigning for better public transport to encourage better footfall in the city centre.