Parking Companies Revise Five-Minute Rule to Aid Motorists
Parking companies are updating their code to help drivers struggling with the five-minute payment rule
Parking, Five-Minute Rule, Derby, UK, Private Parking
Derby: So, there’s some buzz about parking companies making changes to help drivers. Two big groups, the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community, are teaming up to fix the code. They want to make sure that folks who have trouble paying quickly aren’t penalized.
They’re also looking to speed up updates to the code to keep up with new tech. Remember that story from last November? A woman named Rosey Hudson got slapped with a hefty bill because she couldn’t pay in time due to a bad phone signal. That’s just one example of how frustrating this can be.
Private parking companies have been under fire for using confusing signs and charging crazy fees. It turns out that drivers in the UK are racking up over 41,000 parking tickets daily from these companies. That’s a lot of tickets!
Between July and September 2024, about 3.8 million tickets were issued. Each one can cost up to £100, which adds up to a staggering £4.1 million a day. Back in March 2019, a bill was passed to create a government-backed code for these companies, but it got pulled in June 2022 after some legal pushback.
This code aimed to cut ticket caps and improve the appeals process, but it didn’t stick. Now, the BPA and IPC have come up with their own code, and they’re serious about making things better.
Will Hurley from IPC mentioned that this new panel shows they’re committed to improving their image. Andrew Pester from BPA echoed that sentiment, saying they want to raise standards and make changes when needed.
As for the five-minute rule, they remind drivers to pay attention to signs and instructions. Rod Dennis from the RAC pointed out that the industry is already having to rethink its code, which isn’t a good sign for drivers. He believes a proper code of practice is long overdue to protect drivers better.