Parking body refuses to say if city operator has ever been punished
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A NATIONAL trade body for private parking operators has refused to say if the firm behind Inverness’s Strothers Lane car park has ever been sanctioned for breaches of its rules.
The Highland News put the question to the British Parking Association (BPA) this week after the controversial car park’s operator Smart Parking made a virtue of its membership and the fact it "strictly follows its guidelines".
As the HN has reported in recent weeks, dozens of drivers appear to have fallen foul of rules at the open-air car park next to TK Maxx in the city centre – facing charges of up to £160 for minor overstays or slips in inputting registration details at ticket machines.
The BPA bills itself as the "most established and trusted professional association representing parking and traffic management in Europe" and its own code of practice sets out rules for charging, signage and appeals.
A spokeswoman confirmed that members can be "sanctioned" for non-compliance with the code, receiving points for breaches that could lead to expulsion.
She said that, to date, seven operators have been booted out, but refused to reveal whether Smart Parking has ever received any points or, if it has, what for.
"We don’t publish the names of sanctioned operators because we believe they should be allowed to put things right and not continue to be penalised if they do, which could quite easily be the case," she said. "We only publish names if they are expelled."
Also pointing out differences between how parking is policed north and south of the border she suggested that Inverness MP Drew Hendry had tabled his recent Early Day Motion calling for statutory regulation in the "wrong" parliament – as any changes agreed at Westminster wouldn’t apply in Scotland.
In response Mr Hendry said: "This is an issue that affects all the nations of the UK, despite some variances in approach to regulation.
"There are also some limited options to explore in Scotland and I have written to the Scottish Government to ask for their thoughts on the BPA’s suggestions for improving regulation in Scotland."
The BPA response came in the same week that a disabled Inverness woman insisted she won’t be paying the £160 charge she and her husband now face, despite now being threatened with court action.
As we reported last week John Burnside and his wife Edna, who has mobility difficulties, originally received a £60 charge for overstaying by a matter of minutes – and despite not actually being able to find a space.
"They’ve offered to let us pay the £160 off in three monthly instalments but we’re not having it," said Edna. "The charge works out at about £60 for every minute we apparently overstayed, which is just ridiculous. We’re always very careful when it comes to parking and have never had anything like this happen to us before. We’re absolutely not backing down."
If you have received a charge you think is unfair after parking at the Strothers Lane car park let us know at newsdesk@spp-group.com. We are passing all details on to trading standards.
You can also contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 or contact the BPA direct at aos@britishparking.co.uk
