Private parking industry urged to ‘come clean’ over complaints

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 30 Jul 2025

Private parking firms should ‘come clean’ over the likelihood of a driver getting an unfair ticket withdrawn, says the RAC.

Although the parking industry’s two appeals bodies claim parking ticket appeals are often successful, the RAC has found they only publish very limited data – and some of that is out of date.

It calls the gaps "worrying."

The British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC) are the two parking industry trade bodies. The RAC says neither publishes any information about the number of complaints member companies receive about parking charge notices, or PCNs.

They also fail to publish any data on how many they then cancel.

There’s a lack of data relating to the second-stage appeals process, too. This is where drivers whose cases have been refused by parking companies can appeal again.  

Of the "very limited" data published, some of it is out of date and some lacks key information about the percentage of appeals that are allowed and refused.

The BPA’s ‘Parking on Private Land Appeals’ (POPLA) is still yet to publish its 2024 annual report, while the IPC’s Independent Appeals Service (IAS) has only published information on appeals that were allowed and refused in 2021-22.

Back then, just 6% appeals were allowed at adjudication – meaning that 94% were found in favour of operators.

"After we predicted that private parking companies were on track to issue 14.5m tickets in the space of just a year, the industry claimed there wasn’t an issue with tickets being issued unfairly and drivers are often successful in getting them overturned when they appeal," says RAC head of policy Simon Williams.

"While stories of drivers being treated poorly are all too common, data on the true number of complaints made to operators isn’t available.

"With the government now consulting on what should be in the official Private Parking Code of Practice, we wanted to draw attention to the current lack of data about complaints.

"We believe the industry should have to publish the volume of complaints made to operators, including the reasons tickets were issued and the nature of the complaints, and whether or not they were cancelled."

In the meantime, the RAC is calling on the private parking industry to voluntarily publish full and transparent complaints and appeals data. It is also urging POPLA to publish its 2024 annual report as soon as possible, and for the Independent Appeals Service to update its report with the percentage of appeals that it allows and refuses.

Williams reminds drivers that they have until 5 September to complete consultation on the government’s official Private Parking Code of Practice.  

Ask HJ

I was given a parking ticket for having two wheels slightly on a double yellow line - can I appeal?

My back wheels were slightly on a double yellow line but the ticket I was given states I was on a road with parking restrictions. There was no signage on the road indicating parking restrictions. Are the restrictions referred to on the ticket the double yellow lines? I was wondering if I can appeal if they have incorrectly listed the offence?

If any part of your wheel is touching the yellow lines, or even if a part of your vehicle is not touch but overhanging yellow lines, then you can be issued with a ticket. Although there were no signs present, double yellow lines indicate that you cannot park at any time of day, and there does not need to be a sign to indicate this if there are double yellow lines. Single yellow lines indicate parking is permitted at certain times, and there will be signs present to indicate this. If you still feel it is worth appealing, you can read our guide to this process here - https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/advice/driving-advice/parking-ticket-appeals/ but it may be a case of paying this one and putting it down to experience.

Answered by David Ross

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