Drivers handed record 8.6 million parking tickets by private firms in a year

In the latest war on drivers, British drivers were handed a record 8.6 million parking tickets by private companies in just 12 months.

The rate of tickets being issued reached an average of 23,000 every day between April 2021 and March 2022, analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data by the PA news agency found.

That is an increase of more than 50% compared with four years earlier.

Last month, the Government withdrew a long-awaited code of practice aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst actions following a legal challenge by parking companies.

The figures represent the number of times companies obtained records from the DVLA to chase car owners for alleged infringements in private car parks such as at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway service areas.

Tickets can cost drivers up to £100.

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signage, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

The code of practice, which was due to come into force before 2024, stated that the cap on tickets for some parking offences should be halved to £50.

The withdrawal pending a review of charges could lead to a further delay in its implementation.

Some 177 parking management businesses requested car owner records in the year to the end of March, up from 151 during the previous 12 months.

ParkingEye was the biggest buyer in 2021/22 with 1.8 million records.

The DVLA charges private companies £2.50 per record.

The agency says its fees are set to recover the cost of providing the information, and it does not make any money from the process.

Here are the number of vehicle keeper records obtained from the DVLA by parking management companies since 2017/18:

2021/22: 8.6 million2020/21 (affected by coronavirus lockdowns): 4.4 million2019/20: 8.4 million2018/19: 6.8 million2017/18: 5.7 million