Legion are the letters from drivers charged three-figure sums by private parking companies for a single typo. Most have made the easy mistake of confusing an O for an identically formatted zero when keying their car registration into payment machines.
There’s some long-overdue relief. The independent appeals service, POPLA, can now oblige parking firms to cancel charge notices based on minor typing errors. It is part of an overhaul of The British Parking Association’s code of practice. Under the new rules drivers must be allowed up to 10 minutes to find a space and pay for a ticket, and five minutes to exit a car park without charge if they don’t like the terms and conditions.
Steve Clark, BPA head of business operations says: “Motorists will still need to appeal, but we expect our members to deal with them appropriately at the first stage.
The Independent Appeals Service operated by rival trade association International Parking Community, advised members in 2016 that confusion between O and 0 would not be considered an infringement.
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