DRIVERS are being urged to boycott two Weymouth car parks after visitors found themselves slapped with ‘unfair’ and ‘greedy’ fines.

Many say they have been put off ever returning to the town again after being issued with hefty penalties, some just a few minutes over their ticket times. 

Parking Eye, which operates the Old Town East and West car park, also known as the Richard Strode car park, in Weymouth, has been accused of making the town appear ‘vile’ and ‘unwelcoming’ to visitors.

The car parks, behind Brewers Quay, use CCTV to record number plates as vehicles they enter and exit and drivers must enter their registration number into a machine to get a ticket.

Simon Massie came to Weymouth for a two-week holiday with his fiancé, Kyla, and their two-year-old daughter Eliffe. 

Having driven from Birmingham, Simon says he pulled in to the car park to tend to his daughter, who had been sick. 

Steve Morris, who is acting on the family’s behalf, said: “He did not know the area and, as he intended to leave once his daughter was cleaned up, he didn’t pay for a ticket. He was there for about 20 minutes.

“Simon then received a parking notice asking him to pay £100 for the sake of a 40p ticket. It’s extortionate. It is disproportionate and there should be a fine that fits the crime.

“The family couldn’t afford a holiday abroad and chose to stay the UK - but were given this £100 fine.

“They’re just preying on people’s mistakes and it doesn’t paint Weymouth in a good light.” 

Stuart People who received a £100 fine after going over his ticket time said: “This makes the town appear vile and unwelcoming. It was 11.30pm at night and there were no other cars around – I wasn’t depriving anybody of a space. 

“People get held up – what if somebody was waiting in a doctor’s surgery and they’d paid for parking? It happens. 

“My friends and I spent more than £300 in Weymouth just that evening and probably the same again each evening of the three days we were in the vicinity. 

“The rapacious nature of Parking Eye has utterly destroyed any desire I have of ever visiting Weymouth again.” 

Complaints against the firm are nothing new, says councillor Christine James, former member for transport.

Cllr James says she was inundated with complaints while working in the role. 

She said: “They are supposed to give so many minutes’ grace and they don’t, and it’s supposed to be fair and proportionate and it’s not. 

“Very few people who go to a car park deliberately go out of their way to go over. People don’t pay for four hours and stay for six.

“You might have so long on the ticket but there are cameras watching you go in and leave – so if you’ve got a child in a pram or if you have a disability and it takes a bit longer once you’re at your car, the camera sees you going over your ticket time. 

“It’s draconian and my advice would be ‘don’t use it.’”

Penalties are 'disproportionate and totally unreasonable'

WEYMOUTH and Portland Chamber of Commerce president, Michelle Hind, shares concerns that the car parks are reflecting badly on the town. 

Ms Hind said: “This parking company has made money by penalising genuine customers, some who have vowed not to shop in our town again. 
“We have been fighting to have car parking charges reduced by the council to encourage our visitors to stay longer with no need to rush back to the car and the best way, although not achievable, would be to have pay on exit but apparently we can’t afford it. 

“Apparently we can afford to use taxpayers’ money towards a deficit for our park and ride but nothing on improving the existing car parks. 

“This company has made over £25million on cars parked sometimes just over the limit, with no consideration given for genuine customers who may have to queue to pay or food arrived late or unable to walk quick enough back to their car to avoid such penalties.

“The penalties that Parking Eye impose are disproportionate to the breach of contract that they say exits. They are totally unreasonable and someone has to make a stance to ensure that they are properly regulated and stopped from ‘ripping people off.’”

A spokesman for Parking Eye said: “In a 2015 ruling, Parking Eye’s charges were judged to be ‘fair and legally enforceable’ by the Supreme Court. 

“ParkingEye is a member of the British Parking Association (BPA) and follows its code of practice.”