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RAGE AGAINST
MACHINE
Almost 90,000
parking meters have been vandalised in London in the last five years, new figures have revealed. A Freedom of
Information request, demonstrated that councils spent more than £360,000 in repairs.
Gotcha… legislation to regulate clamping should lead to better practice among operators.
Parking industry welcomes legislation for clampers
Te British Parking Association (BPA) has welcomed the news that the Crime and Security Bill was given Royal Assent before Parliament was dissolved, but chief executive Patrick Troy has expressed disappointment that the Bill does not go as far as the BPA had recommended. Te clamping
provisions of the new Act introduce company licensing for clamping companies that operate on private land. Previously only individuals were
required to be licensed. To qualify for a
licence, all clamping companies must be licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), and abide by an enforceable Code of Practice, such as that used by the BPA’s Approved Operator Scheme. Te BPA successfully
tabled an amendment to the Bill to introduce an independent appeals service for motorists who cannot get redress from the clamping operator. Patrick Troy, chief executive of the BPA,
said: ‘We are delighted that this Bill has been passed. Clamping is one of the few areas left that require further regulation, and we are pleased to back proposals that will drive out the rogues, and create a fairer parking environment. ‘I look forward to
meeting with ministers after the election to ensure regulations are created as soon as possible so that the Act can be implemented. ‘While there is a
clear need for parking enforcement on private land to deter unsociable
SOLUTION TO CLAMPING CRIME
A private car park operator has been jailed after issuing illegal parking tickets at parking sites all over Wolverhampton. In a landmark ruling, Clifton Hoffman was handed a custodial sentence for six months and ordered to pay £2,320 in compensation. Wolverhampton Crown
Court heard how Hoffman and his employees had ticketed at least 280 motorists and had
6
MAY 2010
illegally gained more than £32,000 in penalty charges. Drivers were charged £450 to recover impounded vehicles and cars were towed away within 20 minutes of being clamped by staff from his firm, Midland Parking Solutions (MPS). The company, which began trading in 2008, had no licence to clamp vehicles, did not belong to the BPA, and used
illegally-copied Wolverhampton City Council parking tickets. Fines issued by MPS ranged from £60 for a parking ticket to £125 for clamping, and up to £450 – £65 more than the maximum allowed for legitimate businesses – to recover impounded vehicles. Hoffman had previous convictions for violence and firearms offences. He admitted 19 charges of misleading
and aggressive commercial practices and a similar number of offences committed by his firm.
MPS has stopped trading and no one from the firm was available for comment. Recorder Michael Elsom said: ‘The public is entitled to protection from those who conduct this kind of business in an illegal and aggressive fashion.’
parking, it is vital that operators are working in a reasonable and transparent manner, which is what these measures will deliver. ‘We look forward
to working with the next government to implement a robust appeals process that will guarantee a fair and straightforward channel for the motorist and the operator alike. ‘We are, however,
disappointed that the Act does not introduce an appeals service for the sector, including companies that ticket unfairly.’
Meters were destroyed with hammers, injected with superglue and removed completely. Some 27 of the 32 London boroughs responded to the BBC Freedom of Information request. In the borough of Lambeth more than 40,000 parking meters have been attacked over five years. Every parking meter on one street in Enfield was daubed with red paint, while in both Richmond and Croydon machines were wrenched out of the ground.
A London Councils spokeswoman said: ‘Vandalism to parking meters is an issue. Many boroughs are using different ways to tackle the problem including mobile phone parking schemes and the option of paying for their parking using a credit card.’
www.britishparking.co.uk
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