Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello,

I grateful for anyone who can help.

Redbridge Council have recently reorganised all their location codes. Therefore there has been some confusion as the regions are now much larger than localised. Just for context.

I went out today and park at 11.59am. In Redbridge the first hour is free. So I was only parked for about 20 minutes.

This is what happened:

Whilst in my car at 11.59, I used the Ring Go app to pay and chose the closest location to me which was 0.1 mile, as you see in the images. This is location 6081228. When I left the car, I noticed that the location on the signpost was 6081226.

I then went to correct it and enter a new parking slot. This is when it came up with an error code. See attached image.



My  point is, the app is misleading to suggest the closest one to you is actually not the closest one and in fact an incorrect one (6081228).

Then when I went to cancel the active one and correct it stated error and I have maximised my time in that location. How could this be as I attempted to change it to the new correct location.  So there is a system glitch to in effect trap you in.

I was within the one hour free allowance anyway and can prove this.

Please kindly help me with any arguments that I can use to get this cancelled.

This is a very topical subject and has been in the news just this week on people getting caught out like this.

regards
Anwar

Leaving aside that you can't pay for free parking, if the error you got when trying to park at the correct location is as this shot then I think it's a trump card as it says 'at this location'.
If they want to play silly games with location codes then two can play this game.

No rush - it was only today.

I'll help draft it for you.

But to be clear - you tried to amend the live session and didn't try and take out a new one? I think RingoGo does usually allow this within a certain time - it sounds like you tried to do it quickly?

Then you left the car but say you can prove you were less than an hour - how so?

Hi,

Thanks both for your reply.

The situation is as folllows:

1. 11.58am from inside the car i used RingGo the suggested nearby options to book the free hour for the one that made most sense (6081228). The other was an internal car park and the other was a Spoons.

2. About 11.59 i exited the car and noticed the one signpost was 6081226.

3. Immediately i tried to cancel the live session. I was unable to do so. I then tried to book a new session, this is when the error code came up. See attached. I think thats broadly what happened.

4. I was unable to make any changes so, i walked away and at 12.28 noticed the PCN sticket upon return.

5. I have a witness passenger with me. Also my other validation is in my first booking was also just for an hour. If i wanted more, i would have booked more hours initially.

The fact they have just changed their location codes - inner and outer Redbridge, I find it extremely cheated that the geo location tells u one that is not even near you.

Ill try tmrw to replicate on foot!!

Do you think there is an argument here at all?!

Post the link to the press release.

The issue with the geo-location is you can see the location before you take out a session and in any case you did check and see it was wrong. However, it isn't always obvious the description of the location puts you in the wrong place.

Sept. 2025 which precedes your issue by some margin and which states that all problems have been resolved doesn't help you IMO.

You posted:

Then when I went to cancel the active one and correct it stated error and I have maximised my time in that location. How could this be as I attempted to change it to the new correct location.  So there is a system glitch to in effect trap you in.


I've just read the Redbridge website which says that:

Free sessions can only be used once and must not be used one after the other.



You were trying to do exactly this surely, and the system rejected your attempt.

You describe it as cancelling the first and starting a second, but is there a facility to cancel what's been booked?

Hi - to the few people who responded, please can you help me finalise a response.

If any one wants to call me - please let me know I can share my number