Local MP Kevin Foster staged a debate in Parliament this morning on unfair private car parking charges.
In the last 9 months in particular, Kevin has been inundated with complaints from car park users at two private car parks in Torbay – Crossways in Paignton and the Marina Car Park in Torquay. Both are run by different private car park firms, Premier Parking Solutions and Premier Park Ltd, and Mr Foster pre-notified each that he would be naming them today in the House under Parliamentary Privilege.
Kevin Foster highlighted the lack of regulation in this sector, described by another MP during the debate as a “cowboy industry”, as well as the poor working practices, including repeated complaints that faulty car park machinery led to motorists who do the right thing subsequently finding themselves hit with steep fines. Kevin asked the Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP to look at new regulations in this sector, critically looking at the way private car park companies such as those that run the Crossways and Marina Car Parks are allowed to access DVLA records to obtain drivers personal details, and in turn demand money from them. This in turn frightens and alarms people, particularly when the Penalty Charge Notices issued by the private car parking firms are deliberately designed to closely resemble those issued by the police and local authorities (another dubious practice raised by MPs during the debate).
Following on from Kevin Foster’s speech, other MPs from Somerset, Cornwall and Devon shared very similar experiences, including our neighbour Dr Sarah Wollaston MP in Totnes.
Local motorists and much valued visitors to Torbay are complaining about unfair and bullying tactics in these car parks. Kevin Foster feels that Premier Parking Solutions and Premier Park have been too slow to respond, and that when they have, their responses have not been adequate. Following this debate, Kevin has further meetings with related trade bodies and Government departments scheduled, and will be seeking urgent new guidance and regulation of the private parking sector, both here in Torbay and UK-wide.
Nobody is arguing that motorists deliberately abusing private car parks should not face penalties, but these companies should not be allowed to profit from innocent car users' trivial and often very minor mistakes, particularly when their own equipment is so often faulty.
A link to the debate can be found at http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/a7930448-f8df-4136-9602-b2059fa1a674?in=09:30:10&out=11:00:00