Experts are calling on private parking companies to "come clean" about complaints and appeals data to make the system more transparent.
The RAC has called on some of the biggest parking operators to publish "full and transparent" complaints data amid fears drivers who challenge tickets do not succeed often.
At present, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC) do not publish information about complaints.
They also do not release data about the complaints their member companies receive, the parking charge notices they issue or how many are cancelled.
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The RAC is calling on private parking companies to be transparent with the ticket appeals process
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The RAC claims there is also a lack of data relating to the second-stage appeals process, which has been targeted by motorists.
Some motorists have reportedly had their complaints and reasoning refused by car park management companies.
The BPA and IPC only publish "very limited data", which has been branded "out of date" and lacking in relevant information.
The Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) data provided by the BPA is yet to be published for 2024, which spans between October 2023 and September 2024.
Drivers have frequently complained about the parking ticket appeals process
| PASimilarly, the IPC's Independent Appeals Service fails to include how many appeals were allowed or refused in its 2024 report.
The IAS last published the data in 2021/2022, when only six per cent of appeals were allowed at adjudication.
In these instances, a staggering 94 per cent of appeals were found in favour of operators.
Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, noted that parking operators claimed there wasn't an issue with "tickets being issued unfairly".
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This was despite RAC analysis showing that 14.4 million requests were made to the DVLA for vehicle keeper details between April 2024 and March 2025, meaning that around 40,000 parking tickets were handed out over 12 months.
Williams added: "While stories of drivers being treated poorly are all too common, data on the true number of complaints made to operators isn’t available.
"Even the information published by the industry's two appeals bodies in their annual reports isn’t that revealing due to it either being out of date or scant."
He highlighted how the Government was taking action to address the issues, including launching a consultation which should influence the incoming Private Parking Code of Practice.
The Government is currently consulting on how the Private Parking Code of Practice could be introduced
| PAThe consultation, which runs until September 5, 2025, aims to hear opinions from the industry and drivers about how the scheme can work to protect motorists when operational and in the appeals process.
Williams added: "We believe the industry should have to publish the volume of complaints made to operators, including the reasons tickets were issued and the nature of the complaints, and whether or not they were cancelled.
"In the meantime, we call on the private parking industry to voluntarily publish full and transparent complaints and appeals data."
GB News has contacted POPLA for a comment.