Write a commentNewry and Armagh Assembly Member Justin McNulty MLA has called for an urgent review of the practices of private parking companies and their wardens who tend to operate in and around shopping centres and retail parks.
Mr McNulty said, ‘Hardly a day goes by when I haven’t been contacted by a motorist seeking clarity on who is operating one particular car park or another. Time and time again people are received parking tickets either from overzealous attendants or by post and the ticket justification and fines are often questionable.’
‘The common themes include claiming the motorist has been observed leaving the carpark to shop in another store or claiming that the motorist has overstayed their time. People contacting me are distraught, not because they have been caught in breach of a particular car parks regulations, but more that they are being accused of something which is not accurate. In some cases, motorists were not even aware there was a parking regime being enforced in a particular car park because of very discrete signage.’
Speaking of several incidents the MLA commented "One motorist received a ticket for parking in a particular car park saying they had overstayed their allotted time. However, they were able to provide a receipt showing they were in a different retail park at the time. When this was challenged the ticket was dismissed. Another motorist received a ticket claiming they had left the carpark at a particular time to go to another store, yet they could provide a receipt from the actual store itself. These are constantly re-occurring themes and something must be done."
Mr McNulty claims the signage is deliberately vague and confusing so motorists are uncertain as to what the parking rules are in any particular car park.
The MLA has asked the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Infrasture to establish what mechanisms can be put in place to hold the cowboy companies to account.
