One of the UK's most prominent private parking operators, Euro Car Parks, is currently the subject of an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over concerns regarding the fairness of parking charges. The regulator is specifically examining instances where drivers receive tickets while waiting in queues for petrol pumps or utilising other forecourt services, such as car washes. The scope of the inquiry also extends to the company's broader appeals process, to determine if it aligns with consumer protection legislation.
This targeted investigation into Euro Car Parks, which manages over 3,000 facilities across the UK and Ireland, forms a key part of a wider crackdown by the CMA. The consumer protection body is actively working to address a range of potentially unfair practices prevalent within the private parking industry. Motorists have frequently voiced complaints about various issues, including unclear signage, malfunctioning payment applications, and broken ticket machines, leading to what many perceive as unjustly issued parking tickets.
The CMA has expressed its own concerns regarding how some operators handle appeals and whether they attempt to levy additional fees on top of standard parking charges. Emma Cochrane, the CMA's executive director of consumer protection, highlighted the stress and unexpected costs associated with receiving a parking ticket, particularly when households are carefully managing their budgets. She emphasised the necessity for parking companies to treat motorists fairly at every stage, with a transparent and consistent appeals process being fundamental to this principle.
Data from the RAC indicates a significant increase in parking tickets issued at locations such as supermarkets, gyms, restaurants, and retail parks, with numbers more than doubling to 14.4 million over a six-year period. This surge underscores the scale of the issue and the potential impact on millions of drivers across the country. The CMA has already communicated with the sector as a whole and issued warnings to specific operators regarding their practices, urging compliance with consumer law.
The investigation into Euro Car Parks is presently in its evidence-gathering phase and is anticipated to continue until Spring 2027. The outcome could set a precedent for how private parking operators are expected to manage queues and appeals processes, potentially leading to significant changes across the industry to better protect consumer rights.