Drivers will be given the right to challenge "rip-off" private parking charges and more grace when using private providers under new rules set out by Andy Burnham.

The prime minister announced the changes after concerns were raised that penalties issued by private providers were too harsh and left motorists unfairly punished.

The new rules include a cancellation of charges for honest mistakes such as stopping to check directions and for non-payment due to broken ticket machines. Drivers will also get a 10-minute window to leave a car park without facing a penalty.

Motoring groups welcomed the changes, but said more needed to be done to stop charges when the driver had done nothing wrong.

Private car parks are different to council-owned car parks and streets, but more tickets at private sites are now being issued than ever recorded.

According to RAC analysis of government data, some 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025-26, a 17% increase from a year earlier.

With each charge worth up to £100, the data suggests drivers could collectively face private parking charges worth more than £4.6m each day.

In one case, a woman was taken to court in a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay at a car park in Derby. The charge was eventually dropped.

"Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your number plate wrong shouldn't end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat," said Burnham.

He added that such charges left "people feeling ripped off and out of pocket".

The new rules will give drivers:

The new code will apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

Operators who do not comply risk losing access to DVLA data, making it more difficult to pursue the car's owner even if they do issue a charge.