New Grace Period and Code of Practice for UK Private Car Parks

UK motorists will now have a 10-minute "grace period" in private car parks before fines are issued, as part of a new code of practice announced by industry trade bodies. This code, set to be implemented in the autumn, aims to introduce a fairer appeals system and maintain a £100 cap on penalty charges, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

The British Parking Association and the International Parking Community, representing private car park operators, published the code. It calls for consistent signage and an "appeals charter" for drivers. While the industry targets an October introduction, full compliance with the new standards is not expected until December 2026.

Motoring organizations criticize the code, claiming it "falls far short" of necessary protections for drivers and calling for government legislation to address issues such as unreasonable fees, aggressive debt collection, and confusing signage. Private parking companies issued 9.7 million tickets between April and December last year, drawing widespread criticism from drivers, politicians, and motorists' groups.

A government attempt to regulate "rogue" operators failed in 2022 due to opposition from private parking companies. Despite the passing of a bill in 2019 to enforce stricter regulations, legal challenges led to the withdrawal of the legislation in June 2022. Critics argue that the new self-authored code does not adequately address the need for capped charges and the elimination of debt recovery fees, emphasizing the necessity of a government-backed code to protect drivers from exploitative practices.

Simon Williams of RAC stressed that the new code, developed by the private parking industry, is not equivalent to the long-delayed official code backed by legislation, which is needed to end the worst practices and protect vulnerable drivers.