A record 17.5 million fines could be dished out to motorists by parking ‘cowboys’ this year as Labour dither over a planned crackdown.
The ruthless private firms have already slapped drivers with 4.3 million tickets between April and June – an average of 2,000 every hour.
Each penalty can demand up to £100, putting the total daily cost to drivers at nearly £5 million.
The figures apply only to car parks run by private firms – which are ballooning in number as more look to cash in – and not councils. Last year alone they caught out 14.4 million drivers.
Ministers now face fresh calls to get tough on cut-throat firms causing motoring misery with their army of traffic wardens amid the cost of living squeeze.
Critics have accused Labour of dragging its feet over a parking ‘code of practice’ after consultations were delayed, following the resignation of former local government secretary Angela Rayner over underpaying stamp duty on a flat in Hove.
A record 17.5 million fines could be dished out to motorists by parking ‘cowboys’ this year as Labour dither over a planned crackdown (file pic)
Motoring groups have also blasted the proposals for being too soft, as Labour looks likely to ditch the previous Tory government’s plans to ban debt collectors from hounding late-paying motorists.
And the Government’s proposals for a £20 ‘mitigation’ charge for drivers who can’t prove their innocence has been branded a ‘power grab’ for private firms.
The fee would be paid by those who can’t prove their innocence, but where the company also cannot prove their guilt, to settle matters where motorists have made honest mistakes.
Motoring groups say drivers should have all fees waived in these circumstances – such as when a pay machine is broken.
The Government has dawdled on a parking ‘bandit’ crackdown amid complaints of bad practices including deliberately poor signage and clobbering those unable to pay on their mobile because of poor phone signal.
The ruthless private firms have already slapped drivers with 4.3 million tickets between April and June – an average of 2,000 every hour (file pic)
Critics have accused Labour of dragging its feet over a parking ‘code of practice’ after consultations were delayed, following the resignation of Angela Rayner
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: ‘Some firms are acting aggressively and seem to be targeting drivers.’
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, added: ‘Private parking management is essentially a one-way street to big profits. No wonder that private equity firms have been rushing to buy up the biggest players in the sector.’
The alarming figures were based on an analysis of the number of records bought by companies chasing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for owners of cars in alleged private parking infringements.
About 180 firms requested vehicle owner records between April and June. ParkingEye was the most active with 668,000 records.
A spokesman for the British Parking Association, which represents the industry, said: ‘It is important to recognise that 99.6 per cent of [parking] visits do not result in a charge.’
Ms Rayner’s former department was asked for comment.
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