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What are your thoughts on the new BPA Independent Appeals Service?
As things stand The British Parking Association fully expects to have an Independent Appeals Service in place for October 2012. Meanwhile, if you come across a reader complaint that you feel is justified, please ask them to register their concern at www.britishparking.co.uk/AOS-Enquiries/. If you later feel that an issue has not been adequately resolved then I am happy to follow up on it personally.
Incidentally, I wonder whether you had any particular thoughts on the government's proposals to ban clamping and towing on private land? We believe quite strongly that the government has missed a crucial opportunity to finally freeze out rogue operators. As things stand, rogue operators will still be able to extort motorists with complete impunity - they have escaped any sort of regulation except for the ban on clamping - but they won't care about that. They're just going to increase random and indiscriminate ticketing and many more motorists that don't know any better are going to be scared into paying tickets that they don't deserve.
In fact, although we're all very happy that this independent appeals service is now on the way, no one else seems to have noticed that the rogue operators will be able to neatly duck out of the scheme. The sad fact remains that nobody knows who these companies are or what they're up to. We'd be interested in your view.
Incidentally, I wonder whether you had any particular thoughts on the government's proposals to ban clamping and towing on private land? We believe quite strongly that the government has missed a crucial opportunity to finally freeze out rogue operators. As things stand, rogue operators will still be able to extort motorists with complete impunity - they have escaped any sort of regulation except for the ban on clamping - but they won't care about that. They're just going to increase random and indiscriminate ticketing and many more motorists that don't know any better are going to be scared into paying tickets that they don't deserve.
In fact, although we're all very happy that this independent appeals service is now on the way, no one else seems to have noticed that the rogue operators will be able to neatly duck out of the scheme. The sad fact remains that nobody knows who these companies are or what they're up to. We'd be interested in your view.
Asked on 17 March 2012 by ED, British Parking Association
Answered by
Honest John
Thank you for that link. Readers have used it only to receive a reply:
"The Approved Operator Scheme and its Code of Practice was developed by the BPA to bring a degree of regulation to an industry without primary legislation. Regrettably as we are not a regulatory authority, we are not empowered to become involved in individual disputes between you and the car park operator and have no power to overturn an operator's decision. Therefore, any action regarding your individual circumstances are out of our control and should be directed directly to the operator. Although we sympathise with your predicament we have no power to get an operator to cancel or refund any parking enforcement charges."
That said, the BPA has to fund and put in place an independent appeals process before Clause 56 of the Protection of Freedoms bill comes into force in October 2012.
"The Approved Operator Scheme and its Code of Practice was developed by the BPA to bring a degree of regulation to an industry without primary legislation. Regrettably as we are not a regulatory authority, we are not empowered to become involved in individual disputes between you and the car park operator and have no power to overturn an operator's decision. Therefore, any action regarding your individual circumstances are out of our control and should be directed directly to the operator. Although we sympathise with your predicament we have no power to get an operator to cancel or refund any parking enforcement charges."
That said, the BPA has to fund and put in place an independent appeals process before Clause 56 of the Protection of Freedoms bill comes into force in October 2012.
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