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MP calls for improved signs at controversial car park (From Daily Echo)
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John Denham calls for improved signs at Town Quay car park
12:00pm Saturday 20th October 2012 in News
By Tara Russell, Feature Writer
Town Quay car park
SOUTHAMPTON Itchen MP John Denham has called for clearer signs at a controversial car park.
He urged the firm which monitors the car park at Town Quay to take action saying people still did not know they are being photographed the second they enter the site and the second they leave.
Since the Daily Echo revealed this in July dozens of people have come forward saying they did not know they were being photographed and that there is no clear indication their time in the car park starts from the moment they drive in – not when they buy their parking ticket.
The system logs everyone entering and leaving the area. It means even motorists dropping off people or drivers who never actually park in an allocated bay can fall victim to the fines because the registration numbers from the photographs are compared to payments made at the pay and display machines, where people must enter their details.
Mr Denham said there was no clear sign at the entrance to the Town Quay car park, owned by Associated British Ports (ABP) but monitored by Parking Eye, where the cameras are in place.
He said: “The problem is the signing. It is simply not clear that when you go onto Town Quay that from that moment you are being photographed and that you now could be liable for a £75 fine.
“It is very easy to drive onto Town Quay not knowing it is that particular parking system and they really must deal with this because it is crucial that people cannot be in any doubt how the system operates.
“If there was a large sign at the entrance people would not be in any doubt about what was going to happen and they could make their minds up whether they wanted to enter on those terms.
“There is not a prominent enough notice there and the company must get the signing right so everybody entering the car park is in no doubt at all. I would certainly call for clearer signs.”
Human rights organisation Liberty spoke out to condemn the “unfair” techniques.
Policy officer Rachel Robinson said: “It’s clearly unfair to charge motorists if they haven’t been warned and parking companies should not be using James Bond-style surveillance techniques to collect fines.”
The Daily Echo has launched a Fair Deal for Drivers campaign, which calls for a clampdown on firms that are unfairly targeting drivers.
A Parking Eye spokesman said: “The vast majority of motorists buy the appropriate ticket, demonstrating that the approximately 50 signs across the car park can be clearly seen.
“All charges are in line with British Parking Association guidelines and have been consistently upheld and enforced by the courts.
“However Parking Eye operates a written and fully audited appeals process and we encourage any motorist to appeal if they feel there are mitigating circumstances in their case.”
Comments(17)
Frank28
says...
12:21pm Sat 20 Oct 12
freemantlegirl2
says...
12:33pm Sat 20 Oct 12
MGRA wrote:Agreed, they wouldn't have a leg or wheel to stand on if they went to Court. People dropping off should NOT be fined and clearer signage should be displayed on entering the car park. It's ridiculous to do this when we have visitors to our City who are using the IoW services etc and being penalised and that's what they'll remember Southampton for!! Wise up ABP - if someone's takes the mickey and abuses the car park then I suppose that's fair enough but not for all the dozens of people who keep being caught out by this!
Parking eye are talking rubbish. Do they seriously think we will believe that they go to court to recover these so called "fines". Drivers should just ignore them. Drop them in the bin. The charges and fines are illegal if the motorist is being charged without notice on entering the car park. Reading a sign AFTER the charge has commenced is not good enough. No court will find in favour of these cowboys. Granted though, if they do put a clear sign at the entrance that you can not miss then that puts them on another footing entirely.
mercrocker
says...
12:59pm Sat 20 Oct 12
MGRA
says...
1:16pm Sat 20 Oct 12
mercrocker wrote:well said. spot on.
There really is a simple answer to all of this - Never, ever patronise any shop or business where this kind of larceny is practised. Due to similar banditry I have long since abandoned the tin sheds in Totton that incorporates the Lidl there and completely avoided the entire conurbation of Eastleigh. Cannot say I have missed any of it!
News Fanatic
says...
1:58pm Sat 20 Oct 12
mercrocker wrote:As I understand it, motorists have 90 minutes free parking outside Lidl in Totton but they must display a ticket which is free. Those who do not display a ticket or overstay are fined. It seems reasonable to me, unlike what is happening at Town Quay.
There really is a simple answer to all of this - Never, ever patronise any shop or business where this kind of larceny is practised. Due to similar banditry I have long since abandoned the tin sheds in Totton that incorporates the Lidl there and completely avoided the entire conurbation of Eastleigh. Cannot say I have missed any of it!
D.a.v.e
says...
4:42pm Sat 20 Oct 12
So when the new sign is displayed at the entrance all credit will go to The Daily Echo and not Mr Denham........
andysaints007
says...
4:59pm Sat 20 Oct 12
D.a.v.e wrote:What is your point then? He is only jumping on the bandwagon! This story was on here a few weeks ago!!
"The Daily Echo has launched a Fair Deal for Drivers campaign"
So when the new sign is displayed at the entrance all credit will go to The Daily Echo and not Mr Denham........
VictorMeldrew
says...
11:14am Sun 21 Oct 12
News Fanatic wrote:No sneaky ticketers at Lids in Shirley
mercrocker wrote:As I understand it, motorists have 90 minutes free parking outside Lidl in Totton but they must display a ticket which is free. Those who do not display a ticket or overstay are fined. It seems reasonable to me, unlike what is happening at Town Quay.
There really is a simple answer to all of this - Never, ever patronise any shop or business where this kind of larceny is practised. Due to similar banditry I have long since abandoned the tin sheds in Totton that incorporates the Lidl there and completely avoided the entire conurbation of Eastleigh. Cannot say I have missed any of it!
VictorMeldrew
says...
11:14am Sun 21 Oct 12
News Fanatic wrote:No sneaky ticketers at Lids in Shirley
mercrocker wrote:As I understand it, motorists have 90 minutes free parking outside Lidl in Totton but they must display a ticket which is free. Those who do not display a ticket or overstay are fined. It seems reasonable to me, unlike what is happening at Town Quay.
There really is a simple answer to all of this - Never, ever patronise any shop or business where this kind of larceny is practised. Due to similar banditry I have long since abandoned the tin sheds in Totton that incorporates the Lidl there and completely avoided the entire conurbation of Eastleigh. Cannot say I have missed any of it!
DBC
says...
12:21pm Sun 21 Oct 12
Both the BPA and the Department of Transport have just issued guidelines which state that the money that can be claimed from the motorist must reflect the actual material loss suffered by the landowner, and not some imaginary sum plucked out of the air by the parking company
bazzeroz
says...
12:59pm Sun 21 Oct 12
bazzeroz
says...
1:00pm Sun 21 Oct 12
osaronikos
says...
1:14pm Sun 21 Oct 12
Vonnie
says...
3:32pm Sun 21 Oct 12
VictorMeldrew wrote:VictorMeldrew says...No sneaky ticketers at Lids in Shirley”
News Fanatic wrote:No sneaky ticketers at Lids in Shirleymercrocker wrote: There really is a simple answer to all of this - Never, ever patronise any shop or business where this kind of larceny is practised. Due to similar banditry I have long since abandoned the tin sheds in Totton that incorporates the Lidl there and completely avoided the entire conurbation of Eastleigh. Cannot say I have missed any of it!As I understand it, motorists have 90 minutes free parking outside Lidl in Totton but they must display a ticket which is free. Those who do not display a ticket or overstay are fined. It seems reasonable to me, unlike what is happening at Town Quay.
There isn't at Totton either. mercrocker is talking rubbish. If he/she is too lazy to get a free ticket from the machine, and walk back to the vehicle with it, or stays longer than the adequate 90mins allowed for shopping, then a parking ticket is deserved.
The only reason this sort of action needs to be taken by shop owners is to prevent people from parking all day. Totally different to what is happening on Town Quay. That is simply greed personified.
VictorMeldrew
says...
10:22am Mon 22 Oct 12
Vonnie wrote:If the problem is all day parkers the dummy who issues the ticket can wait 10 minutes to give drivers time to get a ticket. As well as a drive through at Town Quay let's have a sit in at Totton.
VictorMeldrew wrote:VictorMeldrew says...No sneaky ticketers at Lids in Shirley”
News Fanatic wrote:No sneaky ticketers at Lids in Shirleymercrocker wrote: There really is a simple answer to all of this - Never, ever patronise any shop or business where this kind of larceny is practised. Due to similar banditry I have long since abandoned the tin sheds in Totton that incorporates the Lidl there and completely avoided the entire conurbation of Eastleigh. Cannot say I have missed any of it!As I understand it, motorists have 90 minutes free parking outside Lidl in Totton but they must display a ticket which is free. Those who do not display a ticket or overstay are fined. It seems reasonable to me, unlike what is happening at Town Quay.
There isn't at Totton either. mercrocker is talking rubbish. If he/she is too lazy to get a free ticket from the machine, and walk back to the vehicle with it, or stays longer than the adequate 90mins allowed for shopping, then a parking ticket is deserved.
The only reason this sort of action needs to be taken by shop owners is to prevent people from parking all day. Totally different to what is happening on Town Quay. That is simply greed personified.
VictorMeldrew
says...
10:25am Mon 22 Oct 12
osaronikos wrote:You get 15 minutes at Town Quay.
How about 10 minutes 'free' as in Southampton Airport ?
MGRA says...
12:11pm Sat 20 Oct 12