THE Parking (Code of Practice) Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons in early February and is now making its way to the Committee Stage of Parliament. However its progress will be no comfort to Chloe Edmondson, whose appeal against a £100 parking fine has just been rejected.
Ms Edmondson, who was heavily pregnant when she got the ticket, overstayed in a private car park close to the University Hospital of North Tees. The fact that she could not get back to her car because midwives at her routine appointment found her blood pressure was dangerously high and admitted her, holds no sway with Northern Parking Services. Even a letter from her midwife was not enough to persuade the firm to scrap her fine.
What would the company rather she had done? Put her own health and that of her unborn child at risk by trekking back to the ticket machine (which wasn’t even working at the time)?
The Bill aims to make sure motorists parking on private land are treated fairly and consistently, by tackling poor signage, unreasonable terms, exorbitant fines, aggressive demands for payment and an opaque appeals process.
Operators who fail to comply with a new code of practice will be denied access to the DVLA’s driver data and stopped from issuing fines.
Ms Edmondson’s case is a perfect example of why this code is needed.
Those drawing it up should note stories like hers, and ensure the terms are clear, free from wriggle room and can be robustly enforced across the entire industry.
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