How do people get away with not paying parking tickets?

Ricochet J · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:00

Doesn't the Road Traffic Act 1991 say registered owners are liable for parking charges regardless of who was driving?

Section 66 said:
For the purposes of this Part of this Act, a penalty charge is payable with respect to a vehicle, by the owner of the vehicle, if—

(a) the vehicle has been left—

(i) otherwise than as authorised by or under any order relating to the designated parking place; or

(ii) beyond the period of parking which has been paid for;

(b) no parking charge payable with respect to the vehicle has been paid; or

(c) there has, with respect to the vehicle, been a contravention of, or failure to comply with, any provision made by or under any order relating to the designated parking

If this is so how can people get away with "I wasn't driving, however I am not obliged to give the details of the person who was"?

Diesel · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:05

I assume the RTA (or this part of it) doesn't apply to private car parks?

Ricochet J · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:10

You may be correct. I've just read further private car parks rely on a contract between the driver and the company in question. Since the registered owner was not driving then that contract doesn't apply.

wasc · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:19

Ricochet J said:
You may be correct. I've just read further private car parks rely on a contract between the driver and the company in question. Since the registered owner was not driving then that contract doesn't apply.

correct. Private car parks write to the DVLA to get the address of the registered keeper. However they are under no obligation to name the driver of the car. Therefore unless the private car park owner can prove the registered keeper was the driver (e.g. by cctv footage), then they can't do very much.

[TW]Fox · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:31

Ricochet J said:
Doesn't the Road Traffic Act 1991 say registered owners are liable for parking charges regardless of who was driving?

Yes.

If this is so how can people get away with "I wasn't driving, however I am not obliged to give the details of the person who was"?

Because the RTA only makes the above provision for police officers and appointed council officials.

Not Bob from Pikeybobs Parking Services Limited.

Malt_Vinegar · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:53

Also, a large number of councils were using incorrectly worded tickets when issuing penalties.

I think this has been mostly corrected now though