Shoppers stopped by parking fine fears

The fear of running out of time on a pay and display parking ticket could be forcing consumers to cut short their Christmas shopping trips, according to research.

Nearly half (48%) of people have had to stop shopping early to avoid a parking fine, while 29% have had the goods they are purchasing in their hands but walked out of a queue to pay for the same reason, a survey found.%VIRTUAL-ArticleSidebar-shopping%

Some 42% said the thought of getting a fine is a daily stress, which could explain why 90% admitted overpaying by an average of £1.40 every time they park.

More than four out of 10 (45%) people said they have cut short time spent with friends and family to dash back to their car, while a quarter (25%) claimed they are unable to enjoy the end of an activity such as a restaurant meal or a play at least once a month because of the fear of being penalised.

The survey of 2,004 adults from London and Manchester who have driven a car in the past year was commissioned by parking payment mobile app PayByPhone.