Shoppers who drive to Tesco and Sainsbury's have been issued a warning about where they park. With many of us now struggling to make ends meet, more people are opting to do smaller, more cost-efficient shops, than one big weekly shop.
But quickly nipping in to a supermarket could land you with a fine. And it will be an unwelcome surprise now bills are rising.
It's all to do with where you park. And chances are, most of us have been guilty of it at one point or another.
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If drivers park incorrectly at a Tesco or Sainsbury's car park, they could receive a penalty charge notice - even if they are "just nipping in". Sainsbury's has issued a warning to those wrongly using parent and child bays without actually having kids with them, saying its team "regularly monitors" its car parks.
Many people use these bays without actually needing to, according to analysis from Confused.com. The excuses most often given are there were no other spaces available or that people were "just nipping in" for a few minutes.
As most supermarket car parks are on private property, there are no official government or council-level rules on these bays. That means it’s not illegal to park in a parent and child space without a child. But you could get a Parking Charge Notice (PCN), the same as you would if you overstayed in a car park.
But you could get a Parking Charge Notice (PCN), the same as you would if you overstayed in a car park. Sainsbury's said it clearly signposts its parent and child bays, and anyone found to be misusing them could be hit with a parking fine. It is understood people are also at risk of a PCN if caught using these bays incorrectly at Tesco.
A Tesco spokesperson explained to Manchester Evening News that its parent and child bays are there to help parents of young children who may need additional space to get their child in and out of their car and into a pram or buggy. The bays are clearly marked and the conditions of their use advertised on signage in our car parks. If those conditions of use are breached then a parking enforcement contractor (in Tesco car parks where enforcements are in place) may issue a penalty charge notice.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson told Manchester Evening News: "For added convenience we offer a limited number of parking bays specifically for customers shopping with children. Our parent and child bays are for customers accompanied by one or more children up to the age of 12."
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