he UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a sweeping package of actions to tackle unfair practices in the private parking sector, following a surge in motorist complaints over aggressive ticketing and opaque appeals processes.
The regulatory intervention comes as research reveals that private operators issued a staggering 14.4 million parking tickets across the UK during the 2024/25 financial year. This volume represents a doubling of issued tickets in just six years, with motorists increasingly penalised at everyday locations such as supermarkets, gyms, restaurants, and retail parks.
Euro Car Parks Under Investigation
As the centerpiece of its campaign, the CMA has opened a formal investigation into Euro Car Parks to determine whether its practices and appeals systems breach consumer protection law. The watchdog is specifically scrutinizing whether it is fair for motorists to receive steep parking charges while simply queuing for petrol pumps, using car washes, or accessing other forecourt services.
The investigation will also examine the legality and transparency of the company’s broader appeals processes across both its petrol station forecourts and standard car parks. While the CMA has reached no final conclusions on whether Euro Car Parks has broken the law, the firm is already facing regulatory pressure. It is currently appealing a £473,000 administrative penalty issued by the CMA for failing to respond to a legally binding information notice during the regulator’s preliminary enquiries.
Sector-Wide Call for Reform
The CMA’s action extends far beyond a single firm. The regulator has issued formal advisory letters to various private parking operators, warning them over the use of potentially unfair additional fees tacked onto unpaid parking charges. Trade associations have also been contacted and urged to immediately improve how their members communicate with drivers and handle disputes.
In tandem with direct enforcement, the CMA has written to the government with a list of recommendations to shape the upcoming private parking Code of Practice. The watchdog is urging ministers to introduce mandatory rules that force operators to clearly signpost motorist rights, standardize the appeals process, and establish fair consideration periods so drivers are not fined simply for entering a car park to read the terms. Under consumer protection rules, the CMA holds the power to impose severe financial penalties on non-compliant firms, with fines reaching up to 10% of their global annual turnover.