48,000 UK drivers ‘face £100 charge’ every day

Motorists across Britain are receiving an average of nearly 48,000 parking fines daily from private firms, new data reveals. Between April and December last year, parking management companies issued 13.1 million tickets, according to Press Association analysis of Government statistics.

This marks a 19% increase from 11.0 million during the equivalent period the previous year, equating to an average of 47,749 daily. The RAC Foundation, a motoring research charity, suggested the figures indicate “something is awry with the system”.

Individual tickets can reach £100, meaning the collective daily cost to motorists could approach nearly £4.8 million at present rates. Private parking operators have faced accusations of employing misleading and ambiguous signage, aggressive debt recovery tactics and disproportionate charges. Numerous drivers have received tickets they maintain are unjust due to how certain payment machines function.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “With fuel prices through the roof, the last thing anyone wants to receive is a parking charge notice. While there will always be some drivers who choose to disregard legitimate rules and regulations, you have to ask whether such vast numbers of people are purposefully setting out to run up big bills or whether something is awry with the system.”

A Bill to enable the introduction of a code of practice for the industry received royal assent in March 2019. This code, scheduled to take effect across Britain by the end of 2023, included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to £50, establishing a fairer appeals process, and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.

However, it was withdrawn by the Conservative government in June 2022 following a legal challenge from parking firms. A fresh consultation on the code by the current Labour Government concluded in September 2025.

Mr Gooding said: “Successive ministers have accepted the need for a new private parking framework to provide better, clearer protections for drivers and landowners, but progress has been painfully slow. Perhaps the additional cost-of-living pressure from sky-high fuel prices will be the prompt needed to get the much-needed regulatory framework in place.”

The average cost of a litre of petrol and diesel at UK forecourts has risen by 26p and 49p respectively since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on February 28.

The examination of parking tickets was based on the quantity of records obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by firms pursuing UK vehicle owners for alleged breaches in private car parks, such as at shopping centres, leisure facilities and motorway service areas. They do not include council-operated car parks. A total of 195 parking management firms requested vehicle owner records during the final quarter of last year, with ParkingEye proving the most prolific, purchasing 619,000 records.

The DVLA levies a charge of £2.50 per record to private companies, with the agency maintaining that its fees merely cover the cost of supplying the information, and that no profit is made from the process.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Motorists must be protected when using private car parks and we are determined to drive up standards in the industry. That’s why we plan to introduce a code of practice to Parliament this autumn to help fix the problems drivers are facing.”

Isaac Occhipinti, head of external affairs at industry body the British Parking Association, said: “Statistics show that the overwhelming majority of motorists follow the rules and pay their way. Effective parking management is essential to keeping towns and cities moving and ensuring people can access shops, hospitals, transport hubs and other vital services safely and conveniently.

“We continue to be on the side of decent drivers. Parking management exists to protect them and ensure that everyone can park where and when they need to.”