Pro Installer January 2017 - Issue 46 | Page 40

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PRO MOTORING

JANUARY 2017 PRO INSTALLER
www. proinstaller. co. uk

CLAMP DOWN ON PARKING CHARGE NOTICES

Parking Charge Notices present a different type of fine to the standard local authority-issued Penalty Charge Notices- or parking tickets- you might be more used to receiving.
These types of fines are the result of committing a parking offence while parking on private property and have their own rules and regulations to abide by. They even have a different method of appealing- which is why it is so important to know the difference.
‘ Did you know that by parking in a private car park space, you are effectively signing up to a contract between you – the person to whom a vehicle is registered in the DVLA database – and the operator of the car park?’
The RAC says that the rules for private parking, however, are not always made clear before you enter the car park. Did you know that by parking in a private car park space, you are effectively signing up to a contract between you – the person to whom a vehicle is registered in the DVLA database – and the operator of the car park? This means you are agreeing to their terms and conditions upon entry without realising.
WHAT IS A PARKING CHARGE NOTICE? Parking Charge Notices are the result of a parking infringement on private land or in a car park which is operated by private organisations on behalf of the landowner and not enforced by the local highways authority or the police. This means you are liable to a Parking Charge Notice as opposed
Picture courtesy of the RAC.
to a local-authority-issued parking ticket or Penalty Charge Notice. Typically, these are found at airports, railway stations, supermarkets, fast food restaurants and out of town retail outlets.
THE NEED-TO-KNOW FACTS If you are unfortunate enough to receive a fine, it is likely that a yellow plastic packet will be stuck
onto your windscreen, very similar in appearance to one you may receive from a local authority. This will usually say‘ Parking Charge Notice’, rather than‘ Penalty Charge Notice’, and will indicate that the operator believes you have contravened the terms and conditions of the car park. If the operator is a member of an accredited trade association
( ATA) such as the British Parking Association( BPA) or the International Parking Committee( IPC), the ticket should give reasons for the contravention and methods to pay, and should also contain information on how you can appeal. If your car is being or has been clamped, whoever is doing this is breaking the law in England, Wales and Scotland. Clamping on private land became illegal in 2012 in England and Wales but there may be local by-law exceptions to this and notices to this effect should be displayed. You would be within your rights to call the police to report clamping. Similarly, if someone demands a penalty from you on the spot, you should contact the police. However, if you overstay by half an hour and the attendant asks for the standard fee for the extra half hour( ie. no penalty) this would be seen as reasonable.

MOBILE PHONE DRIVERS SHOULD GET INSTANT BAN

All motorists caught using a handheld phone while driving should be automatically disqualified and fined £ 1,000, an MP has said. Labour’ s Roger Godsiff warned that the government’ s proposals to increase the minimum fine and number of penalty points awarded to offenders is too low and does not“ fully reflect the risk” to other people. He has now called for tougher measures as a way of discouraging such“ dangerous behaviour”.
Official figures seem to suggest police are turning a blind eye to mobile phone use when driving – with the total of fixed penalty notices issued by forces in England and Wales plunging by 43 % between 2014 and 2015. The RAC’ s road safety spokesman Pete Williams claims that law-abiding motorists are increasingly keen to see the law on illegal mobile use being properly enforced. Mr Godsiff tabled an early day motion( EDM), which is formally a motion for debate.
Ministers announced in September that they want to double the punishment for handheld mobile phone use from three penalty points and a minimum fine of £ 100, to six points and £ 200. This would mean new drivers would lose their licence the first time they are caught using a handheld phone, as clocking up six points within two years of passing the test is enough to ensure it is revoked. More experienced motorists can lose their licence if they receive 12 penalty points within a three-year period.