ANPR council car park grace period

[johncrossley]

I used a council multi-storey car park this morning. I thought it was pay and display. I went to the second floor, noticed it was disabled only then realised the only way to other floors was to go out then come back in again. So I went straight out to the ground floor, out of the car park and back in again. I parked on the fourth floor and then realised it was ANPR. I was then concerned that I had left without paying and would be caught on camera. So I went to the pay machine on the first floor, put my registration in and it said I could leave for free. So I went back to the car and drove out, parking in another car park instead.

I went to the council offices next door, explained the situation, and they said that there is a 10 minute grace period and there was nothing to worry about. But I had gone in and out twice and only used the machine the second time. It was definitely less than 10 minutes before entering and leaving the first time. It was presumably less than 10 minutes between entering the second time and putting the registration in the machine, but not sure I had left 10 minutes after entering the second time. I'm worried because I didn't use the machine when leaving the first time because I thought it was pay and display. I also don't have a ticket for the second leaving because it said I could leave for free, so I don't have any proof if they decide I spent more than 10 minutes between entering and leaving.

 

[transportphoto]

I honestly wouldn’t worry.

As a consumer I’d expect an opportunity to reject terms and conditions of parking - to do so requires the opportunity to read them first (such as getting out of the vehicle and reading signage, and then leaving). Most car parks would be set up similarly.

 

[Bletchleyite]

10 minutes is pretty standard. Only issue would be if it had a no return within clause.

 

[johncrossley]

In general, if you leave an ANPR car park without paying, are you allowed to go back there (on foot) and pay for the parking 5 minutes after leaving?

 

[Bletchleyite]

In general, if you leave an ANPR car park without paying, are you allowed to go back there (on foot) and pay for the parking 5 minutes after leaving?

I don't believe so. The 10 minute grace period is the time you have to decide you don't like the T&C and leave. I think there is also a 5 minute grace period on ticket expiry.

Some do however offer extended payment periods, e.g. WMT's car parks allow payment up to midnight on the day of leaving.

 

[Energy]

I don't believe so. The 10 minute grace period is the time you have to decide you don't like the T&C and leave. I think there is also a 5 minute grace period on ticket expiry.

Some do however offer extended payment periods, e.g. WMT's car parks allow payment up to midnight on the day of leaving.

My local hospital has a nice 30 minute grace period, if you're quick its possible to park, have a blood test and leave within that time.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Some do however offer extended payment periods, e.g. WMT's car parks allow payment up to midnight on the day of leaving.

I recently parked for the day in an SWR ANPR car park, thought I'd pay later when on the train but forgot and only remembered the following day.

Looking at the info on the RingGo site about SWR & 'RingGo PayLater' it appeared that I was stuffed - the blurb says this:

If you leave the car park without paying, your exit time will also be automatically identified by the ANPR cameras. There’s no need to worry as you can still pay up until midnight the same day you exit the car park – by using RingGo’s “Park Now PayLater” solution.

In hope more than expectation I opened uo the RingGo app, and on entering the location code for the station I parked at I saw that my ANPR parking session had been recorded from something like 11.30am until 4.30am, even though I'd driven out of the car park before midnight. (Parking 'days' at railway stations are normally stated to last until the final train of the day even if that's after midnight - and 0429/0430 is the end/start of the next 'ticketing day' on the railway.)

So I quickly paid up, and have seemingly avoided the 'parking charge notice' invoice that would otherwise have resulted!