A WOMAN claims to have been handed £11,000 in parking fines thanks to a “ridiculous” five-minute rule despite paying for a permit.
The restriction was reportedly introduced to stop loitering but is allegedly having a severe impact on drivers parking legitimately.
Hannah Robinson parks regularly at the Feethams Leisure Centre in Darlington, County Durham, as it is close to her place of work.
She insists that she pays for her parking whenever she uses the site, but has still racked up £11,000 in fines since 2021.
This is because Excel Parking Services, which operates the car park, introduced a new rule requiring customers to buy their ticket within five minutes of arriving.
The entrance to the car park is monitored by ANPR cameras which record when a motor comes in and when it leaves.
Excel says this was done to prevent people from using the car park as a pick-up zone for the local cinema complex without paying.
However, Ms Robinson argues that she is often unable to buy her permit within the required time as poor internet connectivity inside the car park delays the transaction.
She told BBC News: “It’s ridiculous.
“I paid for it….I’ve been trying for the full five minutes.
“They just don’t care.
“I’ve done absolutely everything I can to get in touch with them.
“All this just to park my car to come to work.”
Local MP Lola McEvoy slammed the treatment of drivers in her constituency as “shocking” and “appalling”.
She added: “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.”
A spokesperson for the firm said: “Unfortunately a large percentage of motorists do not pay.
“They simply sit in their vehicles for a prolonged period of time waiting to pick people up from the hotel, cinema, and restaurants.
“That causes a loss of revenue and maintenance problems, and that’s why the five-minute time period has been introduced.”
