PARK IT
I was fined £11k over ‘ridiculous’ five-minute parking rule even though I paid for a ticket – anyone could be caught out
The local MP has asked the firm responsible to explain themselves at Parliament
A WOMAN claims to have been handed £11,000 in parking fines thanks to a "ridiculous" five-minute rule despite paying for a permit.
The restriction was reportedly introduced to stop loitering but is allegedly having a severe impact on drivers parking legitimately.
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Hannah Robinson parks regularly at the Feethams Leisure Centre in Darlington, County Durham, as it is close to her place of work.
She insists that she pays for her parking whenever she uses the site, but has still racked up £11,000 over 67 fines since 2021, working out to about £170 per fine.
This is because Excel Parking Services, which operates the car park, introduced a new rule requiring customers to buy their ticket within five minutes of arriving.
The entrance to the car park is monitored by ANPR cameras which record when a motor comes in and when it leaves.
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Excel says this was done to prevent people from using the car park as a pick-up zone for the local cinema complex without paying.
All this just to park my car to come to work
Hannah Robinson
However, Ms Robinson argues that she is often unable to buy her permit within the required time as poor internet connectivity inside the car park delays the transaction.
She told : "It's ridiculous.
"I paid for it....I've been trying for the full five minutes.
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"They just don’t care.
"I've done absolutely everything I can to get in touch with them.
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"All this just to park my car to come to work."
The driver was stunned to receive the massive bill last month and has refused to pay up, despite being handed two court dates over fines dating from last year.
She claims that she is still trying to get in touch with the company over the charges from 2021.
Local MP Lola McEvoy slammed the treatment of drivers in her constituency as "shocking" and "appalling".
She added: "I've written to Excel Parking and told them I want them to come to Parliament and meet with me and tell me to my face why they think it’s acceptable to treat people like this."
However, Excel is not obligated to accept her invitation.
A spokesperson for the firm said: "Unfortunately a large percentage of motorists do not pay.
"They simply sit in their vehicles for a prolonged period of time waiting to pick people up from the hotel, cinema, and restaurants.
"That causes a loss of revenue and maintenance problems, and that's why the five-minute time period has been introduced."
Everything you need to know about parking
- Can I get two parking tickets in one day?
- Do I have to pay a private parking ticket?
- Can I be fined if your parking ticket falls off your dashboard?
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- How do I appeal a parking ticket?
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- Can I reserve the parking space outside of my house?
- How close can I park to a dropped kerb?
- Is parking free on bank holidays?
- Can I park on a single yellow line?
- Can I be fined for parking across two spaces?
- Can I use somebody else's parking ticket in a car park?
- Who is allowed to park on my driveway?
- Where can I park with a blue badge?
- Can I be fined if the ticket machine is not working?
- How close can I park to a junction?
- Am I allowed to park on grass verges?
Under the new Private Parking Code of Practice, Ms Robinson can appeal to the company directly.
If they reject her appeal, she can go to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS), run by the International Parking Community (IPC).
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The IPC is a trade body representing thousands of private parking firms including Excel but handles appeals through "independent adjudicators" and ensures "complete separation" from cases involving its members.
However, if her appeal to the IAS is unsuccessful, she will be required to pay the fines in full or face recovery action.
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