Every country has its own rule to prohibit drivers from using the parking space for prolonged periods as per their convenience. But these rules, if not designed well, can cost individuals a hefty amount of money. The case in point involves a woman named Hannah Robinson who has been allegedly slapped with penalties costing nearly 11,000 pounds (around Rs 11 lakh) for a “ridiculous” five-minute rule.
Hannah Robinson hails from Darlington, County Durham. She regularly used the car parking at the Feethams Leisure Centre while she was working nearby. The woman, as she informed the BBC in an interaction, had paid for a ticket every time while parking the car. However, due to poor internet connection in the car park, it used to take more than five minutes for the transaction to complete.
She shared, “It’s ridiculous. I paid for it. I’ve been trying for the full five minutes. They just don’t care,” adding that the whole situation had been “upsetting” and the “operators did not want to talk” to her about the issue. “I’ve done absolutely everything I can to get in touch with them. All this just to park my car to come to work,” continued Hannah.
UK’s Excel Parking Services introduced the rule sometime back wherein people must buy tickets within five minutes of arrival to prevent drivers from using the car park as a pickup point from the nearby cinema and hotel without paying the authority. The car park has several ANPR cameras, monitoring the arrival and departure times of the cars.
Since 2021, Hannah Robinson has been slapped with 67 fines of nearly 170 pounds (Rs 18,000) each. In the conversation with the media house, she even admitted that the new five-minute rule is hitting hard on drivers who pay for the car park legitimately. The woman further shared that despite adhering to the parking requirements, she is being charged a huge amount.
Darlington MP Lola McEvoy called for an urgent meeting with car park operator Excel Parking Services following the incident. She said, “I’ve written to Excel Parking and told them I want them to come to Parliament and meet with me and tell me to my face why they think it’s acceptable to treat people like this.” In response, the spokesperson of the parking space alleged that a large percentage of motorists do not pay.
Comments
0 comment