UK Competition Watchdog Probes Euro Car Parks Over Petrol‑Station Parking Tickets

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a formal investigation into Euro Car Parks, one of the United Kingdom’s largest private parking operators, over the issuance of parking tickets to motorists queuing at petrol stations and other forecourt services. The regulator’s review found that some firms start the parking clock when a driver enters a car park rather than when payment is made, leading to tickets being issued within five minutes of entry, and that appeals processes often fail to cancel or reduce charges that should be limited to £20 under the industry code of practice.

The CMA’s probe follows a £473,000 fine imposed on Euro Car Parks earlier this year for non‑cooperation with information requests. The watchdog highlighted that drivers in Britain receive an average of nearly 48,000 private‑sector parking tickets each day, amounting to almost £4.8 million in daily charges. It has issued recommendations for a new code of practice to improve transparency and fairness for motorists.