Drivers Fined at Alarming Rate: Record Number of Parking Tickets Issued

British drivers are facing a parking ticket deluge, with private companies on track to issue a record 14.5 million penalties this year, new analysis reveals.

The RAC ’s study found that just five firms are responsible for nearly half of all tickets , highlighting the concentrated power within the private parking industry.

The research shows a surge in requests to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by car park management companies.

In the six months leading up to September 2024, these requests reached 7.2 million, a 12 per cent increase compared to the same period the previous year. This equates to an average of 41,000 requests every day, or on average almost every two seconds.

If this trend continues, the RAC predicts a staggering 14.5 million tickets will be issued over the full year, setting a new record.

These private companies pursue vehicle owners for alleged parking violations in private car parks, including locations like shopping centres, leisure facilities, and motorway service areas.

Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total cost to drivers may be near £4.1 million per day at the current rate.

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

A recent inquiry conducted by the PA news agency discovered that drivers throughout England are receiving citations due to malfunctioning equipment. One advocate contends that these devices are "designed to catch people."

A Bill to enable the introduction of a Government -backed code for private parking companies received royal assent under the Conservative government in March 2019.

The code was withdrawn in June 2022 after a legal challenge by parking companies.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “It’s very concerning that private parking firms are growing and on track to issue a record 14.5 million parking charge notices to drivers in the space of just 12 months.

“Since drivers typically do not intend to violate regulations, we worry that numerous individuals are facing unfair treatment from private parking firms that continue to function without government oversight.”

A poll conducted in August by the RA,C revealed that 80% of drivers were annoyed that the government-supported code of conduct had yet to be implemented.

Mr. Williams stated that the government is "dedicated to implementing the official code" but cautioned that "it must be done with all haste," considering how rapidly the number of cases is increasing. parking tickets being issued is rising.

The five companies which issued 45 per cent of tickets between April and September last year were ParkingEye (1,129,000), Euro Car Parks (892,000), Horizon Parking (440,000), Smart Parking (424,000) and APCOA Parking (367,000).

The DVLA charges Private companies charge $3.40 per record. (Note: The conversion from GBP (£) to USD ($) was done assuming an approximate exchange rate for illustrative purposes since actual rates may vary.)

The agency says its fees are set to recover the cost of providing the information and it does not make any money from the process.

British Parking Association chief policy and engagement officer Alison Tooze said the daily rate of 41,000 tickets “may seem like a large number in isolation” but insisted “this should be understood in context”.

She went on: “Of those who enter a private car park in the UK, only 0.3 per cent receive a parking charge.

“This has held steady for many years, meaning 99.7 per cent of people park with no issue.

This indicates that the rise in the total number of fines over time is due to an increased number of car parks being managed rather than a greater likelihood of issuing parking tickets.

If landowners didn't feel a growing necessity to manage parking spaces on their properties, the demand for operators would be significantly lower.

The reason for the demand exists because an issue arises where a significant number of individuals fail to park respectfully and opt to disregard the conditions set forth by the landowners regarding parking on their property.

In a statement, a spokesperson for The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Motorists must be protected when using private car parks, and we are determined to drive up standards in the industry.

“We know how much of an issue this is for drivers, which is why we will set out further details on the private parking code of practice as soon as possible.”

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