Calls are being made to reform how the parking sector is managed after new figures revealed drivers are being handed an average of more than 41,000 parking tickets a day by private companies in Britain.
Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.
Some 3.8 million tickets were handed out between July and September, according to analysis of Government data.
That represents a record daily average of 41,052.
The total is up 14% from 3.3 million during the same period in 2023 and more than double the 1.7 million in 2018.
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.
A Bill to enable the introduction of a legislation-backed code of conduct received royal assent in March 2019.
This code – due to 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But it was withdrawn by the Conservative government in June 2022 after a legal challenge by parking companies.
In June, industry bodies the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community published their own code of practice.
It included requirements for consistent signage, a single set of rules for operators on private land and an “appeals charter”.
Motoring groups criticised it for not including features such as a cap on charges or the removal of debt recovery fees.
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “Private parking is clearly one sector of the economy which appears to be booming but at the expense of millions of motorists each year.
“It is hard to believe that tens of thousands of drivers are setting out each day intent on flouting parking rules on private land and so risking stiff penalties. These numbers suggest that big questions remain about the way the current system is working – or failing.
“Drivers must be very wary of where they leave their vehicles as they head out to do their Christmas shopping because these numbers suggest that even the smallest indiscretion is likely to lead to a fine which will erase any sense of festive cheer.
“If…
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