The case for stricter regulation of private parking firms is strong enough to be brought up by the Scottish Government, a local MSP has said.
Murdo Fraser has stepped up his campaign against rogue firms by meeting with the British Parking Association (BPA), Citizens Advice Scotland and the consumer charity Which? to discuss options for regulating the sector.
The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP has received hundreds of complaints about Smart Parking, which operates the Kinnoull Street multi storey and Watergate car parks in Perth.
After meeting with all three organisations Murdo believes the case for stricter regulation and a fully independent appeals service is strong and is calling for the Scottish Government to act.
Currently, private parking companies can voluntarily sign up to the BPA’s code of conduct but sanctions are relatively weak.
By clarifying current rules, Mr Fraser believes that tougher regulation and an independent appeals service would be good for both operators and parkers.
He said: “Ensuring that private parking works for the customer and operator is extremely important. Many motorists feel as though the balance is tipped in the wrong directions with parkers having little recourse for appeal.
“The majority of parking providers operate in good faith but for those who don’t the current system of self-regulation is failing.
“Enshrining in law a statutory appeals service will be good for customers and operators as this will allow clear lines to be drawn over when and when not to pay a fine.
“Parkers in Perth have been left frustrated by Smart Parking who have installed complicated meters and issued incorrect fines over the past two years. Stricter regulation could help prevent drivers from being duped into paying these bogus fines.”
A spokesman for Smart Parking said: “We would remind Mr Fraser that we are members of the British Parking Association and follow its guidelines to the letter, and this includes operating a fully audited appeals process.
“However, we do understand the passions that parking charges inspire. In England there is the independent POPLA appeals process which works well for both motorists and the parking industry, so we would work with Mr Fraser to achieve something like this in Scotland.
“In light of this we would again like to invite Mr Fraser to our offices in Birmingham to discuss how we can achieve our mutual goals.”
