Two major parking organisations have announced plans to revise rules found in many UK car parks (Image: Getty)
Private companies have vowed to change a commonly enforced yet to ensure that motorists are not .
Despite millions of motorists using on a daily basis, few drivers are aware that they only have after entering the site.
To help make rules fair to all drivers, the (BPA) and the (IPC) have created a panel to establish a new code of conduct.
Andrew Pester, Chief Executive of the BPA, explained: “The formation of this panel is an important step in delivering consistency to the oversight of the private parking sector Single Code of Practice.
“We want to demonstrate that not only are we serious about raising standards but also making decisive changes to the code when issues arise.”
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Under current laws, drivers typically have five minutes to find a space and pay for their parking (Image: Getty)
Currently, drivers using a private car park have a five-minute grace period in order to find a space and pay for their stay before they can be subject to a fine.
Whilst this rule is enforced in a bid to prevent motorists from being charged when a car park is already full, some motoring experts have warned that the period is not long enough, particularly for large sites.
Drivers who fail to pay after using a car park for more than five minutes could face a maximum fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £60, increasing to £100 if it is not paid within 14 days.
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Drivers who break the five-minute rule can penalty charge notices of up to £100 (Image: Getty)
The alteration comes as motorist Rosey Hudson was issued 10 parking charges that totalled to more than £1,900 after failing to pay for her parking in time.
Ms Hudson was taken to court over the offences in December 2024, but claimed that it took her that long to find a sufficient amount of phone signal in order to pay to use the parking space.
Responding to the , Excel Parking, who own the car park, noted that Ms Hudson had taken between 14 to 190 minutes to pay the charge, and could have used the machine on site. However, Ms Hudson highlighted that the parking machine was regularly out of order.
Previously, the BPA and IPC has proposed doubling the grace period offered by private parking companies to a maximum of 10 minutes.
The move was announced as a part of the new Private Parking Code of Practice, which all car park operators will have to adhere to by October 2026.
Whilst many drivers have welcomed the move, The AA noted that the measures it features do not go far enough, stating it ‘falls short’ of many other rules that were previously proposed.