Parking boss says it is 'easy to beat the system' as 41,000 fines a day issued

Will Hurley, chief executive of trade body the International Parking Community (IPC), said operators want drivers to park "where they need to, when they need to" without breaking any rules
Despite the staggering figure of approximately 41,000 parking tickets being issued daily in Britain, an industry leader has claimed that private parking companies "don't want to issue parking charges". Will Hurley, chief executive of the International Parking Community (IPC), also said it's easy to 'beat the system' - a claim many will question.
He insists that operators prefer drivers to park "where they need to, when they need to" without violating any regulations. Private parking firms have faced criticism for employing misleading and unclear signage, aggressive debt collection tactics, and imposing unreasonable fees, reports Bristol Live. Addressing these claims when speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Hurley stated: "Any business is there to make money. But the reality is, the vast majority of money that comes in in the parking industry comes from people paying for parking."
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These private entities pursue vehicle owners for alleged violations in private car parks, such as those at shopping centres, leisure facilities, and motorway service areas. They issue parking charge notices (PCNs) – essentially invoices or demands for payment – when they allege a breach of the land owner's rules, such as incorrect registration entry into a machine, overstaying, or not parking within a designated bay.
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'It's easy to beat the system' in car parks in UK
Each ticket can cost up to £100, with a minimum discount of 40% if settled within 14 days. The most recent accounts for ParkingEye, the UK's largest private parking company, reveal a pre-tax profit of £16.1 million in 2023, a significant increase from £10.9 million the previous year.
Mr Hurley implied it is "easy to beat the system" for those wary of parking operators, advising: "If you're thinking about it, just don't park in a way that gets a parking charge.
"If you're really that upset by it, just follow the signs. If the signs are unclear, go and park somewhere else."
He further pointed out: "Parking operators don't want to issue charges. They want people to park where they need to, when they need to."
In figures indicative of the number of PCNs being issued by private companies, the six months to the end of September 2019 shows the average daily rate was 24,000, while between April to the end of September 2024, car park management firms submitted a staggering 7.2 million requests to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for access to vehicle keeper records - data which is often used to send out PCNs. This figure marks a 12% increase compared to the same timeframe the previous year, averaging at about 41,000 requests every single day.
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The IPC links the steep rise in ticketing to the fact there are currently more than five times more UK sites under parking management than there were a decade ago, along with vehicle registrations surging by 21% since 2012.
Last month, it was revealed that a number of drivers are contending with unjust parking fines due to certain problematic payment machines, prompting one campaigner to assert these devices are "set up to trap people".
A particular issue has arisen that sees machines move on to payment after only a single character of the vehicle registration is inputted, leading to incidents where motorists fulfil the parking charge yet receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) because automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras did not match their full details.
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Mr Hurley commented, "I don't think that's helpful", adding: "I believe that the minimum thing that should happen if you're required to put a registration number in, is you should be required to confirm your registration number before you go on to the payment bit."
But the realities of rectifying such problems nationwide did not escape his notice, with Mr Hurley saying: "How quickly can that be implicated across 50,000 locations in the country? Not overnight, but we've got to take steps in that direction."
Code of practice for private parking operators
Powers for a Government-endorsed code of practice for private parking operators secured Royal assent during the Conservative government in March 2019. However, it was rescinded in June 2022 following a legal dispute initiated by parking companies.
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The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated its intention to reveal more information about re-establishing the code "as soon as possible". Mr Hurley said: "There's nobody that's supported the Government more than us in terms of introducing a single code of practice."
Yet RAC's head of policy, Simon Williams, commented: "If private companies really don't want to issue tickets, they should make their signs clearer and easier to understand. Avoiding a charge is the opposite of easy in some locations.
"We've heard stories of machines that aren't working, as well as ones that skip ahead to payment after entering one or two numbers or letters, or ones that record different letters to those keyed in. The fact remains the Government's code of practice needs to be brought in as soon as possible."
Furthermore, Mr Williams demanded the parking industry be "transparent about the number of complaints it receives from drivers who believe they've been treated unfairly". The matter is set to spark further discussions as Parliament convenes for a Westminster Hall debate on the sector this coming Tuesday.

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