Drivers warned about £2.50 rule used to fine millions

Drivers warned about £2.50 rule used to fine millions Consumer champions are now calling for reform, echoing similar pleas to clean-up Britain's private parking system that issued more than £1.5b in fines last year Drivers have been warned about a £2.50 rule that is being used to fine millions of motorists. Motorists who breach parking regulations on private land are being chased for payment by companies which obtain their data for just £2.50, consumer rights experts have warned. After fines are issued, it costs only £2.50 for private companies to acquire records from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Sky News reports. Analysis from the RAC Foundation and PA says nearly 17 million parking tickets were handed out last year, a record figure of 46,000 every day. Now, the government is being told to increase the fee it charges to access drivers’ data by motoring champions. "Enough is enough. Drivers deserve fairness," Scott Dixon, also called The Complaints Resolver, said. "This unregulated private parking industry is potentially worth over £1.5bn a year and is out of control." Parking firms effectively self-regulate with a new code of practice which was adopted last year. However, Dixon said more needs to be done. He also called on the DVLA to increase its request fee ten-fold, to £25, and introduce a code of practice that effectively regulates the industry. The RAC has also called for reform, asking parking firms to rename their fines in June to make the system more transparent to motorists. Penalty charge notices issued by councils for parking offences on a public road or in a public car park are backed by law and must be paid, unless a successful appeal is lodged. They are discounted by 50 percent for early payment. By contrast, the RAC described parking charge notices issued by companies as “an invoice for an alleged breach of contract” relating to parking on private land. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Drivers are clearly confused by the PCN acronym which is concerning as they are very different in terms of consequences. “We suspect parking charge notices are deliberately designed to appear very similar to a council penalty charge notice. “Drivers are very supportive of changing the name of parking charge notices to clear this up and help others understand the important legal difference.”