Private car parks are managed by private companies and often found near supermarkets or out of town shopping complexes.
They are different to public car parks run by local authorities in town centres, or near parks and open spaces.
Private car parking companies issue penalties when vehicles fall foul of their rules and operate a different fining regime to those in place in public car parks.
But private parking businesses have long been criticised by drivers, politicians and motorists’ groups for confusing signage, unreasonable fees and aggressive debt collection.
Private parking companies issued 9.7 million tickets to drivers in Britain between April and December last year, according to analysis of government data by the motoring research charity, the RAC Foundation.
An attempted government crackdown on “rogue” operators foundered in 2022 following stiff opposition from private parking companies.
A bill to enable the introduction of a legislation-backed code of conduct received Royal Assent in March 2019.
This legislation – which should have come into force across Britain by the end of last year – included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to £50, creating a fairer appeals system, and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.
But a legal challenge by private parking companies meant the government withdrew the legislation in June 2022.
Mr Cousens said the code of practice was “watered down” and “falls far short of the standards the AA, government and consumer groups have called for across many years”.
He said: “This self-authored code doesn’t acknowledge the need to cap charges and remove debt recovery fees.
“These elements are desperately needed from a government-backed code to protect innocent drivers from the sharks running private car parks.”
Simon Williams, head of policy at RAC, said: “Drivers shouldn’t be fooled into thinking this so-called code developed by the private parking industry itself is the same as the long-delayed official private parking code of practice that is backed by legislation.
“This, and only this, will bring an end to the worst practices of some private parking operators and mean drivers – especially those who are vulnerable – are protected from unreasonable fines and debt collectors chasing down payments.”
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