Britain's biggest 'cowboy' parking firms revealed as they rake in £537MILLION every year - as government announces new rights for drivers to challenge unfair charges

Britain's biggest private parking firms rake in £537 million every year, with motorists being issued a ticket every two seconds. Government data revealed 16.9 million fines were dished out in the last year to the end of March - an increase of 96.5 per cent since 2021/22. Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the total cost to drivers may be more than £4.6 million per day at the current rate. The parking industry has attributed the rise to an increase in the number of car parks being managed. Andy Burnham announced a raft of new measures today to 'put a stop' to motorists being 'ripped off'.The Prime Minister said: 'We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off.' The Daily Mail has analysed figures released by the DVLA showing the number of times the country's biggest private firms asked for driver information. We found more than 12.5 million requests were submitted in the financial year to March this year compared to 10.3 million in 2024/25. Did YOU get a parking fine overturned? Email matt.strudwick@dailymail.co.uk APCOA Parking, Euro Car Parks, and ParkingEye accounted for just over half of that total. The trio's turnover, according to accounts filed to Companies House in 2025, was a combined £281.9 million.Firms only request such data, which costs £2.50 each time and includes the car owner's name and address, if they intend to hand out parking charge notices (PCNs) to drivers who've overstayed. Pensioner Nigel Richardson last year won a five-year battle with Euro Car Parks over a £1 ticket that he had already paid for.He was relentlessly pursued over the alleged debt - even after supplying the firm with the receipt proving he had paid the correct fare at the time.Mr Richardson, from Rearsby, Leicestershire, had parked his VW Golf in Syston, Leicestershire, in 2020 but had no change on him and the card payment machines were not working.He then tried using the mobile phone app - but received no notification to say the payment had been successful, so feared it had not gone through.Honest Mr Richardson wrote to the firm to explain what had happened and that he might owe them £1 - but they responded by immediately fining him £100.He later found the receipt for his online transaction in his junk email folder and sent it to the firm as proof of payment.Mr Richardson refused to back down and ended up in court where he applied for £2,480 over the ordeal.But he was awarded £200 in compensation by a judge who agreed he had been unfairly fined and had no debt to pay.However, after paying court costs of £180, Mr Richardson was only £20 better off.The new private parking code of practice, set to come into force by the end of this year, will give drivers rights to challenge unfair private parking charges, including a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park. Under the new code, motorists will be given 10 minutes to leave car parks without facing a penalty once their session ends.The code will give drivers the right to have charges cancelled on appeal for honest mistakes, such as stopping briefly to check directions, and for issues they cannot control, including a vehicle breakdown in a car park, a medical emergency or a broken ticket machine, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.For drivers who make mistakes such as forgetting parking permits, entering a vehicle registration wrong or forgetting to confirm it in a parking machine, they will face a maximum charge of £20 on appeal under the new rules.Mr Burnham said: 'Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn't end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.'These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I'm putting a stop to them.'We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off.'The code will mean private parking charges are frozen at a maximum of £100, while operators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA data, the Government said.Currently, private parking companies use vehicle keeper information from the DVLA to pursue parking charges.The new code of practice will apply in England, Scotland and Wales and will bring in a fully independent scrutiny and oversight board for the first time.Private operators will be required to report data on the charges they issue and how appeals are handled which will then be scrutinised by the board.The Government has said it will consult on private parking debt recovery fees, including whether to cut the existing £70 cap or scrap the fees entirely.RAC head of policy Simon Williams said the code was a 'step in the right direction' to protect drivers from the practices of some private parking companies, but 'not the leap' the motoring services company had been campaigning for.He said: 'We've long called for the banning of debt recovery fees being added on top of parking charge notices (PCNs) and a single independent appeals body to replace the two industry-run ones, but neither have been included, which is disappointing.'That said, the fact we finally have a code seven years on from the Private Parking Code of Practice Act becoming law is positive.'Car park management companies will now have to conform to a new set of rules or risk losing access to the DVLA's database which they depend on to issue PCNs to drivers.'This will hopefully prevent many drivers wrongly being issued tickets in the first place.'Mr Williams added: 'While this isn't quite the Christmas present we wanted for drivers, it should hopefully save many the stress of having to challenge unfair tickets.'Director of policy for charity IAM RoadSmart, Nicholas Lyes, said: 'It is welcome to see new protections put in place for drivers through a single code of practice; however, we would have liked to see a single appeals system and action against debt recovery organisations as part of the package.'Ultimately, we need to get to a place where parking on private land is a seamless, straightforward, and clear process, not one fraught with potential traps which leaves drivers unfairly out of pocket.'Alison Tooze, chief policy officer at the British Parking Association, said her organisation 'welcomes' the new code, which is an 'important step forward for motorists, communities and responsible parking operators'.'The code builds on many of the principles already established through the sector's existing voluntary code, helping create a more consistent, transparent and trusted framework,' she said.'Overall, the code strikes the right balance between stronger protections for motorists and effective parking management, helping keep communities, businesses and local economies moving,' she added.The Government also announced a crackdown on second-hand car dealers who wind back mileage clocks on vehicles.While fraudulently selling a 'clocked car' is already illegal, it will be added to an official list of banned practices, making it easier for enforcers to address it.Greg Smith, a shadow transport minister, said: 'Andy Burnham posing as the driver's friend is a joke. This is the same Labour Government that is doubling parking fines right across England. Five minutes' grace in a supermarket car park will not fool anyone.'The £100 maximum stays exactly where it is and Labour has ducked banning the debt recovery fees piled on top. Labour's war on drivers carries on regardless.'Only the Conservatives, with our Plan for Drivers, will back the people who keep this country moving.'Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said: 'Parking should be straightforward, not another everyday hassle. These changes mean drivers get a fairer deal, protected time to park and leave without fear of being unfairly charged, and confidence that private parking providers are held to a higher standard.'It's yet another step forward in this government's plan to take the stress out of everyday life and ease the pressure on people's pockets.'Did YOU get a parking fine overturned? Email matt.strudwick@dailymail.co.uk