Parking Firm Fined £473,000 After Issuing 1.9 Million Tickets in a Year
Euro Car Parks, one of the largest private parking companies in the UK, has recently faced significant repercussions for its practices. The firm was fined £473,000 for failing to respond adequately to information requests from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Over the course of a year, Euro Car Parks issued approximately 1.9 million tickets to motorists.
Details of the Fine
The CMA imposed this penalty for non-compliance with regulatory requests. The company ignored seven requests for information over a three-month period. These requests were sent through multiple channels, including registered post, emails, and hand-delivered letters.
This marks the first instance where the CMA has utilized its new powers to enforce penalties for such violations. The decision underscores the importance of timely cooperation with regulatory authorities.
Response from Euro Car Parks
Initially, Euro Car Parks did not respond to the CMA until they were informed about the potential fine. Upon finally replying, the company claimed it had blocked CMA emails under the suspicion that they were fraudulent. However, the CMA dismissed this explanation as unreasonable.
Public Response and Industry Perception
The issue has drawn attention from consumer advocacy groups. Hayley Fletcher, senior director of consumer enforcement at the CMA, emphasized the necessity of compliance with information requests. Lisa Webb from the consumer group Which? noted that private parking companies, including Euro Car Parks, are frequently seen as problematic by motorists.
- Fines issued: £473,000
- Tickets issued in one year: 1.9 million
- Requests for information: 7
- Duration of non-compliance: 3 months
Euro Car Parks has not disclosed any comments regarding the recent developments. The CMA has clarified that there is currently no ongoing consumer enforcement case against the company. Nevertheless, the public perception of private parking firms suggests a need for increased transparency and consumer trust.
