Calls to Clamp Down on Car Park Cowboys

It has been reported that the number of motorists who have been unfortunate enough to have had their vehicle clamped has risen by 64% in the last 12 months, with private ‘rouge’ clamping firms taking £58m.

Clamp Down on Clamping:

Cowboy clampers face being driven out of town all over the country, fuelled by angry motorists and with the support of local councils the clamp down is being put into practice straight away.

The AA has voiced their opinion on clamping down, saying that they are fed up with the bully-boy tactics of clampers, with 86% of MP’s wanting clamping outlawed or more tightly regulated – preventing rouge clampers ‘stealing’ from motorists.

Recent studies by the AA have revealed that clamping has reached epidemic levels with nearly £1 billion being taken a year. Clampers have been described as bordering on criminals and frequently being described as intimidating. And more fittingly ‘legalised mugging and totally immoral, self regulation is not working as there are too many individuals and firms operating in this shady area’.

Under the existing rules, clampers need to obtain a special licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in order to be able to get into this highly lucrative business. Even so the process of gaining a licence is too easy, therefore there has been a rise in the number of companies getting into the clamping ‘game’ and posting penalties up to £250 on unsuspecting motorists.

MPs have been calling on the Government to follow Scotland’s lead in banning clamping on private land. It has been considered “extortion and theft” there since a 1992 court ruling. Liberal Democrat Norman Baker said: “Clamping is legalised extortion and needs to be stopped. It’s time private clampers were run out of town.”

New laws will help to clamp down:

Some ever-resourceful rogue clampers often tacked on spurious charges, even having the audacity to impose extra ones for calling the police or swearing and now it is almost commonplace for clampers to charge a clamping release fee and removal charge taking the cost to almost £400 even if a tow-away never takes place.

Under the new government plans, parking operators will be first and foremost required to put up clear signs laying out the parking rules of a specific piece of private land.

It is time for strict regulation on what clampers can and cannot do and this must be within a code which works for car park operators and drivers – many parking offences are minor in nature and don’t deserve such harsh punishment.

However, though the new plans are aimed at driving rogue clampers out of business, given their skill at finding loopholes in the law, perhaps drivers should still be a bit wary over where they park for some time yet.