Driver going to war with parking firms says 'I will not pay a penny'

A Redditch pensioner has called on the government to address what he described as the 'scandal' of private parking firms issuing hefty fines and refusing to cancel charge notices. Peter Toolan, 78, faces two separate fines, each exceeding £100, which he said he believed were both 'unfair.'

The retired teacher expressed his readiness to fight both fines in court, saying he was 'not going to pay' either. In May this year, Mr Toolan was fined £100 after saying he was unable to pay a £3.20 parking fee at Redditch train station due to a broken payment machine.

Last week, he received a second fine from a different private parking company operating in Kings Heath that accused him of leaving without paying, despite possessing a 'physical copy of the ticket he purchased.' Mr Toolan called on the government to take action against private parking firms issuing 'unfair' fines, calling the situation 'scandalous.'

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"I can't believe the government hasn’t done anything about this," he said. "I've spoken to many people who have had similar experiences."

In the first incident, Mr Toolan was fined £100 by Saba Parking when he tried to pay for his ticket the day after parking, unaware payment had to be made by midnight. He claimed there was no information displayed next to the machine indicating the requirement - and said the parking machine was out of order.

After 'months' of correspondence with the parking firm, he said he believed the case may have 'finally' been dropped. "It dragged on for months," he said.

"I received two red warning letters and two from solicitors, with the fine eventually rising to £180. It's been three months now without further contact, so I assume they've dropped it. Either way, there was no way I was ever going to pay them a penny."

In a separate incident last week, Mr Toolan received a fine after parking in Kings Heath. He said the firm contacted him a week later demanding payment, but he had kept a copy of his ticket. He is appealing that fine and urged the government to take action against parking firms issuing 'unfair' penalties.

"Luckily, I kept a copy of the ticket," he said. "Otherwise, it would have been my word against theirs.

"I've spoken to several people who knew they were in the right but paid the fine just to avoid the hassle - it's not right. I will not be paying this fine under any circumstances. I know I'm in the right, and if I have to go to court to fight my case, then so be it."

He also called for tighter regulation of parking fines: "The government should require the full terms of parking agreements be displayed clearly next to parking machines. In my case at Redditch station, they weren't. Additionally, fines should be proportional to the company's actual loss - a mistake on a £3 ticket should not result in a £100 fine."

Saba Parking has been approached for a comment.