Huge rise in parking tickets handed out by private firms - but what are the laws?

Total cost to drivers could exceed £1.1bn as private firms hand out over 30,000 tickets a day

A record 5.7 million tickets were handed out between July and December 2022 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The number of parking tickets issued by private companies has climbed by almost a quarter in the second half of 2022, new figures have shown.

A record 5.7 million tickets were handed out between July and December- an average of around 31,000 a day, according to data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

With each ticket costing up to £100, the total annual cost to drivers could exceed £1.1 billion at the current rate.

Howver, private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

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.

In July 2022, the government withdrew a long-awaited code of practice which would have capped private companies charging more than £50 for a parking ticket.

The new code would have also pushed firms to display their pricing policies clearer as well as their terms and conditions to avoid confusion for drivers.

The number of parking tickets issued by private companies in Britain soared by 24% in the second half of 2022 (PA)

Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation director, said: “If only the rest of the economy was booming like the private parking sector, perhaps we’d all be feeling more prosperous.

“Private parking looks set to be a billion pound-a-year business, if it isn’t already, with demands for up to £100 a time being sent out to drivers at the rate of more than one every three seconds.

“There’s widespread agreement that the government should be setting up a regulatory framework for the industry, but it is nearly four years since the relevant law was passed.

“These numbers surely suggest that what’s needed is action now.”

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokeswoman said: “We are determined to create a new private parking code of practice which will bring in a fairer system with motorists’ interests at its heart.

“We’re working with industry and consumer groups to introduce the code as quickly as possible.”

Paying a parking ticket

You usually have 28 days to pay, according to gov.uk. In some cases, the fine is reduced if you pay within 14 days.

If you lose your ticket, contact the ticket issuer to find out how to pay.

You can challenge a parking ticket from a private company. Here is how:

Check the ticket to find out who the issuer is. Contact them to find out how to challenge the private parking ticket.

If your challenge is rejected, you can appeal to an independent appeals service. Find out if the ticket operator is a member of an accredited trade association by looking at the ticket or their website.

Appeal to:

• POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), if the operator is a member of the British Parking Association (BPA)
• IAS (Independent Appeals Service), if the operator is a member of the International Parking Community (IPC)