Parking Chaos as New System Overcharges Drivers
A city centre car park in Birmingham has been forced to issue an apology and promise immediate refunds after a technical glitch led to drivers being overcharged. The incident occurred at the NCP Royal Angus car park, where a new pricing structure was mistakenly applied, resulting in some motorists paying £5 more than they should have.
Hospital Staff Hit by Unexpected Charges
The error particularly affected staff from Birmingham Children's Hospital, who are entitled to a discounted daily parking rate. On Saturday, October 25, a clinical support worker, Sandra Hingley, reported that 'everyone' was charged £12.95 instead of the usual £7.95 day rate.
Ms Hingley stated that when she queried the increased charge, she was informed this was "now the price." This sparked significant concern and confusion among hospital staff, who rely on the discounted rate. The situation became even more baffling when the parking rate returned to the normal £7.95 the next time she used the car park.
NCP Responds and Pledges Refunds
Following the reports, NCP launched an investigation and confirmed that the price hike for hospital staff was an error. The company explained that it had introduced a new pricing structure across some of its sites by removing a 'dual tariff board option,' but emphasised that staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital were meant to remain unaffected.
In an official statement, an NCP spokesperson said: "We are concerned to hear about the charges as it confirmed there was no intended increase to hospital staff costs. We have supported them with a greatly reduced parking discount for many years."
The company is now actively seeking to identify individuals who were overcharged. NCP has pledged to issue immediate refunds to any Birmingham Children's Hospital staff member who paid the incorrect, higher price. They have also committed to contacting the hospital directly to help locate affected accounts.
