Chiltern Railways to be more aggressive on parking tickets

9:21am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News By Lawrence Dunhill

Rail firm to be more aggressive on parking tickets Rail firm to be more aggressive on parking tickets

CHILTERN Railways are being ‘more aggressive’ with handing out fines in their station car parks.

Speaking at a Beaconsfield Town Council meeting on Thursday, managing director Rob Brighouse said “a number of people choose not to pay in our car parks”.

He suggested drivers without tickets were not being penalised in the past, but said they are now given a warning letter before a fine is issued.

He added: “I’ve decided we should take a slightly more aggressive approach. People are being fined if they are deliberately parking without buying a ticket.”

Comments (12)

10:53am Tue 16 Oct 12

wycombe_boy says...

Glad to hear that you get a warning letter first if you don't pay their over-priced charges.

The cost of rail travel and that of parking at the railway station car park is doing little to get people off the roads.
Glad to hear that you get a warning letter first if you don't pay their over-priced charges. The cost of rail travel and that of parking at the railway station car park is doing little to get people off the roads. wycombe_boy

11:17am Tue 16 Oct 12

sparky49 says...

wycombe_boy wrote:
Glad to hear that you get a warning letter first if you don't pay their over-priced charges.

The cost of rail travel and that of parking at the railway station car park is doing little to get people off the roads.
Totally agree. You can't even park outside stations or anywhere for free now. Car users have become cash cows for train companies and local authorities.
[quote][p][bold]wycombe_boy[/bold] wrote: Glad to hear that you get a warning letter first if you don't pay their over-priced charges. The cost of rail travel and that of parking at the railway station car park is doing little to get people off the roads.[/p][/quote]Totally agree. You can't even park outside stations or anywhere for free now. Car users have become cash cows for train companies and local authorities. sparky49

1:06pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Malc London says...

Never mind Park, you cannot even STOP on the railway approach at Gerrards Cross, to pick up or drop off passengers. You used to be allowed 20 mins but now you are threatened with a fine just for stopping.

It means elderly or disabled people cannot be dropped off at the station, for fear of a £100 fine.

Signs are quite clear about this.

NO PARKING
NO WAITING
NO STOPPING
AT ANY TIME.

I personally think it's a disgraceful way for Chiltern Railways to treat their customers.
Never mind Park, you cannot even STOP on the railway approach at Gerrards Cross, to pick up or drop off passengers. You used to be allowed 20 mins but now you are threatened with a fine just for stopping. It means elderly or disabled people cannot be dropped off at the station, for fear of a £100 fine. Signs are quite clear about this. NO PARKING NO WAITING NO STOPPING AT ANY TIME. I personally think it's a disgraceful way for Chiltern Railways to treat their customers. Malc London

1:36pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Flackwell says...

the answer to that is to become an ex-customer of theirs - then one day an overpaid manager will notice

not that they're likely to do anything mind you !
the answer to that is to become an ex-customer of theirs - then one day an overpaid manager will notice not that they're likely to do anything mind you ! Flackwell

2:48pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Smart Cookie says...

Re: NO PARKING
NO WAITING
NO STOPPING
AT ANY TIME
If this sign is on the public highway then it is unlawfully in place contrary to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. There is no such permitted sign prescribed by the regulations and it must be removed.

If it is on private property then it is impossible for any "fines" or "penalties" to be issued for a breach of contract which is what happens if you 'break the rules'. Parties to a contract cannot impose fines but breaches of a contract (by a driver) can be challenged in court to recover whatever damages (ACTUAL loss) is proved to have been suffered by the car park owner.

If there is a charge being required for not having a valid paid ticket or any other transgression then that is permissible but only if such terms and conditions are prominently displayed and clearly made known to drivers.

In any case a charge could not possibly be levied on private property merely for briefly stopping because the car park owner could not possibly have suffered any financial result as a consequence.

Something dodgy somewhere.
Re: NO PARKING NO WAITING NO STOPPING AT ANY TIME If this sign is on the public highway then it is unlawfully in place contrary to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. There is no such permitted sign prescribed by the regulations and it must be removed. If it is on private property then it is impossible for any "fines" or "penalties" to be issued for a breach of contract which is what happens if you 'break the rules'. Parties to a contract cannot impose fines but breaches of a contract (by a driver) can be challenged in court to recover whatever damages (ACTUAL loss) is proved to have been suffered by the car park owner. If there is a charge being required for not having a valid paid ticket or any other transgression then that is permissible but only if such terms and conditions are prominently displayed and clearly made known to drivers. In any case a charge could not possibly be levied on private property merely for briefly stopping because the car park owner could not possibly have suffered any financial result as a consequence. Something dodgy somewhere. Smart Cookie

3:35pm Tue 16 Oct 12

realist_highwycombe says...

Smart Cookie wrote:
Re: NO PARKING
NO WAITING
NO STOPPING
AT ANY TIME
If this sign is on the public highway then it is unlawfully in place contrary to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. There is no such permitted sign prescribed by the regulations and it must be removed.

If it is on private property then it is impossible for any "fines" or "penalties" to be issued for a breach of contract which is what happens if you 'break the rules'. Parties to a contract cannot impose fines but breaches of a contract (by a driver) can be challenged in court to recover whatever damages (ACTUAL loss) is proved to have been suffered by the car park owner.

If there is a charge being required for not having a valid paid ticket or any other transgression then that is permissible but only if such terms and conditions are prominently displayed and clearly made known to drivers.

In any case a charge could not possibly be levied on private property merely for briefly stopping because the car park owner could not possibly have suffered any financial result as a consequence.

Something dodgy somewhere.
Agree 110%.

People need to smarten up on all of the above, especially now as our friends the clampers can no longer hold people to ransom for silly amounts of money for popping into a shop for some milk!

These "tickets" that are given out are as the poster above says for a "breach of contract" you will see they are not worded "PENALTY CHARGE NOTICE" which is what is issued by the police and council but instead labelled "PARKING CHARGE NOTICE".

People may wish to take a look at the following so they are aware where they stand when they get one of these worthless bits of paper like I did once at McDonalds in London!

http://www.bbc.co.uk
/watchdog/consumer_a
dvice/parking_ticket
_advice.shtml
[quote][p][bold]Smart Cookie[/bold] wrote: Re: NO PARKING NO WAITING NO STOPPING AT ANY TIME If this sign is on the public highway then it is unlawfully in place contrary to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. There is no such permitted sign prescribed by the regulations and it must be removed. If it is on private property then it is impossible for any "fines" or "penalties" to be issued for a breach of contract which is what happens if you 'break the rules'. Parties to a contract cannot impose fines but breaches of a contract (by a driver) can be challenged in court to recover whatever damages (ACTUAL loss) is proved to have been suffered by the car park owner. If there is a charge being required for not having a valid paid ticket or any other transgression then that is permissible but only if such terms and conditions are prominently displayed and clearly made known to drivers. In any case a charge could not possibly be levied on private property merely for briefly stopping because the car park owner could not possibly have suffered any financial result as a consequence. Something dodgy somewhere.[/p][/quote]Agree 110%. People need to smarten up on all of the above, especially now as our friends the clampers can no longer hold people to ransom for silly amounts of money for popping into a shop for some milk! These "tickets" that are given out are as the poster above says for a "breach of contract" you will see they are not worded "PENALTY CHARGE NOTICE" which is what is issued by the police and council but instead labelled "PARKING CHARGE NOTICE". People may wish to take a look at the following so they are aware where they stand when they get one of these worthless bits of paper like I did once at McDonalds in London! http://www.bbc.co.uk /watchdog/consumer_a dvice/parking_ticket _advice.shtml realist_highwycombe

3:36pm Tue 16 Oct 12

realist_highwycombe says...

Just to add i do support fines being issues on private land if people are parking in a way which is dangerous or blocking people in etc BUT unfortunately many of these companies (and I am not saying Chiltern Railways here!) but many are run by criminals, thieves and bullys and it is about time we stood up to them!
Just to add i do support fines being issues on private land if people are parking in a way which is dangerous or blocking people in etc BUT unfortunately many of these companies (and I am not saying Chiltern Railways here!) but many are run by criminals, thieves and bullys and it is about time we stood up to them! realist_highwycombe

4:27pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Malc London says...

I agree these charges can be disputed, but is it really worth the hassle when all you are doing is picking someone up from the train station?

The summary of the posters is as follows

Patrols and/or Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras monitor the vehicle activity on this roadway. Entry to and use of this roadway is strictly subject to the following terms and conditions of use, and motorists using this roadway hereby accept these terms and conditions of use in full.
No Parking
No Waiting
No Stopping
At any time.

The following parking charges are payable for the parking of vehicles contrary to the above terms and conditions of use.
Parking Charge Up to £150
We will issue a £100.00 parking charge notice that will be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days of issue. Should it remain unpaid, we will contact the DVLA to obtain the registered keeper details and pursue payment. Should it remain unpaid at this point further charges may accrue.
Issued by MET Parking Services Limited

I am not going to risk dropping someone off, or picking them up from this roadway. Just not worth it.
I agree these charges can be disputed, but is it really worth the hassle when all you are doing is picking someone up from the train station? The summary of the posters is as follows Patrols and/or Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras monitor the vehicle activity on this roadway. Entry to and use of this roadway is strictly subject to the following terms and conditions of use, and motorists using this roadway hereby accept these terms and conditions of use in full. No Parking No Waiting No Stopping At any time. The following parking charges are payable for the parking of vehicles contrary to the above terms and conditions of use. Parking Charge Up to £150 We will issue a £100.00 parking charge notice that will be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days of issue. Should it remain unpaid, we will contact the DVLA to obtain the registered keeper details and pursue payment. Should it remain unpaid at this point further charges may accrue. Issued by MET Parking Services Limited I am not going to risk dropping someone off, or picking them up from this roadway. Just not worth it. Malc London

4:39pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Malc London says...

Just to add, it had been PERMITTED to stop and drop rail customers off on this roadway for years. A waiting time of 20 minutes was allocated, and there was even a pick up zone, which has now disappeared.

I know many people will ignore the new rules, which serve no useful purpose, but the aggressive nature of Chiltern Railways to it's customers leaves a lot to be desired.
Just to add, it had been PERMITTED to stop and drop rail customers off on this roadway for years. A waiting time of 20 minutes was allocated, and there was even a pick up zone, which has now disappeared. I know many people will ignore the new rules, which serve no useful purpose, but the aggressive nature of Chiltern Railways to it's customers leaves a lot to be desired. Malc London

5:56pm Tue 16 Oct 12

realist_highwycombe says...

Malc London wrote:
I agree these charges can be disputed, but is it really worth the hassle when all you are doing is picking someone up from the train station?

The summary of the posters is as follows

Patrols and/or Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras monitor the vehicle activity on this roadway. Entry to and use of this roadway is strictly subject to the following terms and conditions of use, and motorists using this roadway hereby accept these terms and conditions of use in full.
No Parking
No Waiting
No Stopping
At any time.

The following parking charges are payable for the parking of vehicles contrary to the above terms and conditions of use.
Parking Charge Up to £150
We will issue a £100.00 parking charge notice that will be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days of issue. Should it remain unpaid, we will contact the DVLA to obtain the registered keeper details and pursue payment. Should it remain unpaid at this point further charges may accrue.
Issued by MET Parking Services Limited

I am not going to risk dropping someone off, or picking them up from this roadway. Just not worth it.
Mate there is no hassle in disputing it - you simply do not respond when the PCN arrives.

I have had 2 of these in recent years - both of which I did not respond to.

I received 5 letters. The first 2 saying ifI did not pay bailiffs would be contacted, another from a bailiff demanding payment, another from the parking company amazingly me offering me a "discount" and then another one saying final warning - after that as per usual they cut their losses and left it. Why? Because many people pay their fines and as such they still make money from these people.

I would add, if I was parked badly, blocking someone etc I would pay a fine but the 2 I got issues were completely undeserved and as such did not pay them.

As I say there is no hassle at all in not paying them - you simply make no response at all.
[quote][p][bold]Malc London[/bold] wrote: I agree these charges can be disputed, but is it really worth the hassle when all you are doing is picking someone up from the train station? The summary of the posters is as follows Patrols and/or Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras monitor the vehicle activity on this roadway. Entry to and use of this roadway is strictly subject to the following terms and conditions of use, and motorists using this roadway hereby accept these terms and conditions of use in full. No Parking No Waiting No Stopping At any time. The following parking charges are payable for the parking of vehicles contrary to the above terms and conditions of use. Parking Charge Up to £150 We will issue a £100.00 parking charge notice that will be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days of issue. Should it remain unpaid, we will contact the DVLA to obtain the registered keeper details and pursue payment. Should it remain unpaid at this point further charges may accrue. Issued by MET Parking Services Limited I am not going to risk dropping someone off, or picking them up from this roadway. Just not worth it.[/p][/quote]Mate there is no hassle in disputing it - you simply do not respond when the PCN arrives. I have had 2 of these in recent years - both of which I did not respond to. I received 5 letters. The first 2 saying ifI did not pay bailiffs would be contacted, another from a bailiff demanding payment, another from the parking company amazingly me offering me a "discount" and then another one saying final warning - after that as per usual they cut their losses and left it. Why? Because many people pay their fines and as such they still make money from these people. I would add, if I was parked badly, blocking someone etc I would pay a fine but the 2 I got issues were completely undeserved and as such did not pay them. As I say there is no hassle at all in not paying them - you simply make no response at all. realist_highwycombe

11:52pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Voyeur says...

We got a £90 parking fine from the new Lidl Supermarket in High Wycombe because we committed the offence of parking there for one hour and 44 minutes whilst shopping. Thereby exceeding the time limit by 14 minutes. Luckily they saw reason when we established that one of us was disabled.
We got a £90 parking fine from the new Lidl Supermarket in High Wycombe because we committed the offence of parking there for one hour and 44 minutes whilst shopping. Thereby exceeding the time limit by 14 minutes. Luckily they saw reason when we established that one of us was disabled. Voyeur

3:45pm Wed 17 Oct 12

realist_highwycombe says...

Voyeur once again mate, even if they tried to make you pay simply refuse.

They offer free parking as it is - so by staying over that time limit the store is not loosing out on any money therefore cannot prove a case in court.

Glad they did not try and hold you to ransom though mate :)
Voyeur once again mate, even if they tried to make you pay simply refuse. They offer free parking as it is - so by staying over that time limit the store is not loosing out on any money therefore cannot prove a case in court. Glad they did not try and hold you to ransom though mate :) realist_highwycombe

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