Time for Scottish Government Action on Private Parking Racketeering

 

I am very concerned about the disgraceful practices of some private parking providers.  Before Christmas I wrote to the Scottish Government about this and I received a response from Derek McKay, Minister for Transport, which you can read above.  Mr McKay informed me that he would be meeting with Citizen's Advice Scotland to discuss their 'It's Not Fine' campaign.  I have written to Mr McKay asking for an update on that meeting and requesting that action is taken to regulate the private parking sector.  I think that it is time for the Scottish Government to take action.  People in Dundee and right across Scotland are having money extorted from them by these companies on at best a dubious legal basis.

 

I will also be asking Dundee City Council to look at whether we can use licensing or planning legislation to clamp down on these organisations which are unregulated.  Could the council make conditions on a planning application that would prevent unregulated parking providers charging ridiculous amounts of money for parking, or pretending that they were issuing fines.

 

I support the campaign by Citizen'sAdvice Scotland on this issue.  There is a real need for regulation of private parking charges. The Scottish Government should take decisive action against these companies which are extorting money off people in Scotland.