Private companies issued an unprecedented 16.9 million parking tickets to UK drivers in the year ending March, according to an analysis of government data by the Press Association and the RAC Foundation. This represents a 17% increase from 14.4 million tickets issued a year earlier.
The parking sector attributes this rise to a greater number of car parks now under active management. With individual penalties potentially reaching £100, the total daily cost to drivers could exceed £4.6 million.
Accusations against private parking businesses include the use of misleading signs, aggressive debt collection, and unreasonable fees. Many drivers claim tickets are unfair due to the operation of some payment machines.
A proposed code of practice, which included halving the cap on most parking offences to £50 and creating a fairer appeals system, was withdrawn in June 2022 after a legal challenge. A new consultation on the code by the current Labour government concluded in September 2025.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, noted that approximately 76 million tickets have been issued since parliament recognised the need for industry reform. In 2025/26, 204 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records from the DVLA, with ParkingEye being the most active, acquiring 2.5 million records.