Private parking rules in the UK are set to change, addressing the ‘five-minute’ rule to protect motorists who struggle to pay within the timeframe.
The update, introduced by the newl formed Private Parking Scrutiny and Advice Panel (PPSAP), comes into effect on 17 February 2025, safeguarding drivers who experience delays in making payment while using private car parks monitored by fixed camera technology.
The change comes after the BBC reported that motorist Rosey Hudson was taken to court late 2024 after accumulating £1,906 in fines for taking more than five minutes to pay for parking in Derby.
In response, the UK’s private parking sector said its new Private Parking Scrutiny and Advice Panel (PPSAP) would urgently reform its code of practice to protect genuine motorists who have difficulty making prompt payment on entry.
The PPSAP said the new rules would ensure motorists who face genuine difficulties in paying within a short timeframe are treated fairly.
But it added that all drivers must still read signage carefully and follow the rules of their chosen cark park.
The update also applies only to sites where technology supports this change. It does not apply to local authority car parks and private car parks without ANPR or CCTV camera monitoring.
The panel and the two parking trade associations said the update would ensure parking rules keep pace with technological advancements and prevent nuisance and inconsiderate parking, whilst protecting compliant drivers.
Andrew Pester, chief executive of the British Parking Association, said: “It is a real testament to the PPSAP that this change has been implemented so efficiently. The parking sector is always striving to ensure it operates in the interest of compliant motorists and to ensure that parking is fairly managed for all. This change is another important step in achieving this.”
The change follows last year’s launch of the private parking industry’s code of practice, intended to raise standards and deliver greater transparency and consistency for the benefit of motorists.
The Government had also drawn up an official UK code of practice for the private parking sector, published in February 2022 as part of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 and intended to end some of the worst practices in the private parking sector. However, the draft code was withdrawn on the back of legal challenges from parking firms.
Motoring and consumer groups including the AA and RAC have accused the private parking sector’s own code of being watered down and falling far short of standards compared to the UK’s withdrawn code of practice.
But Will Hurley, CEO of the International Parking Community (IPC), said: “Our sector is making significant strides in elevating standards. The single code, along with the creation of the panel and its swift action reflects the sector’s positive progress and commitment to fairness.”
