Motorists hit with £5billion in fines since failed crackdown on 'cowboy' car park sharks... and one blames poor internet coverage for her bill of £11,000

Motorists have been hit with up to £5 billion in parking fines since ministers launched a failed crackdown on 'cowboy' firms, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. An MoS investigation reveals: Private firms have dished out £4.8 billion in fines since 2019 when Parliament passed a law that was supposed to rein them in; They are on course to slap a record 13 million fines on motorists this year – or 35,000 a day; Some parking companies have doubled their profits in a year; One motorist racked up £11,000 in fines at a car park because she was unable to pay for tickets due to poor internet coverage; Private car parks are increasingly common, especially at hospitals, supermarkets and garages. Ruthless parking companies have enjoyed soaring profits in recent years amid mounting complaints over 'exorbitant' fines and aggressive tactics Tory MP Greg Knight, who introduced a private members' bill which won Government support, highlighted 'poor signage, unreasonable terms, exorbitant fines, aggressive demands for payment and an opaque appeals process'. The RAC's head of policy, Simon Williams, said: 'The delays sparked by parking companies and debt recovery firms challenging the code have meant thousands upon thousands have had to pay fines which were totally disproportionate. The RAC's head of policy, Simon Williams, said: 'The delays sparked by parking companies and debt recovery firms challenging the code have meant thousands upon thousands have had to pay fines which were totally disproportionate' Private car parks are increasingly common, especially at hospitals, supermarkets and garages Hannah Robinson racked up fines totalling £11,000 since 2021 after using a car park in Darlington managed by Excel Parking.