Forum Topic

Get paid £70 for your thoughts on PCN's

Seriously, People for Research are offering £70 to everyone who gets selected to take part in their research. The market research company wants to hear feedback from all drivers, especially if you are one of those who have ever been given a Penalty Charge Notice or Penalty Notice Charge. They'd be keen to hear from owners of blue badges too. Here's the link: https://www.peopleforresearch.co.uk/opportunity/penalty-charge-for-parking-paid-research-20440

Ben Owen ● 1285d19 Comments

Maybe this should be advertised at Ealing Hospital where a lot of Blue Badge users are getting unfairly targeted by the parking contractors.Seen some very distressed patients there lately who have done nothing wrong if the UK Gov mandatory regulations are to be believed!

Raymond Havelock ● 1285d

The problem with blue badges used in hospital car parks is total inconsistency as each hospital.can set its own rules. As examples, a blue badge gets no concession at West Middlesex and there are no free disabled spaces. In addition the designated disabled spaces are nowhere near the entrance to the clinics. At Central Middlesex Hospital the majority of blue badge spaces are at the furthest part of the car park from the main entrance. As a blue badge user, I have no objection to paying for parking but at least put the spaces somewhere near the entrance.

N V Brooks ● 1285d

Here’s my thoughts/ views Ben. Cash only please, if you could drop it round😀.Parking if inappropriate can cause problems.However my neighbours yesterday each got a pcn for parking outside their house,Causing no problem or, hold up etc. we all voted against restrictions.Council said cobblers its in.West Ealing, where the bus lane ends, there is a kebab shop, supermarket & cars park just outside end of bus lane.This in effect makes the bus lane redundant. Yet I never see a warden or no reports of a camera.I feel easy targets are penalised, yet those which matter ignored so we all get lumped under one roof as traffic congestive & “calming “ measures put in place

Peter Yale ● 1285d

& why is it so bloody hard to access,Want the ins & outs of a ducks ass, to prevent the truth perhaps???

Peter Yale ● 1285d

Had a look yesterday and it operates a vetting method that means they select knowing the potential views of the prospective participants.Which means they will probably get the desired results for their clients.Anyone working in Media or News media will be excluded along with other occupations.However they are just as much private citizens as anyone else and with the same rights.Why can these things not be properly open and honest?  We might actually start to get things right.

Raymond Havelock ● 1285d

Mr H, I filled out the required fields, registered & waited for an email link.Never arrived.Contacted the company & to be fair chap said they are looking into it.Your comments I hope will not come true

Peter Yale ● 1285d

> Which means they will probably get the desired results for their clients. What a total load of rubbish.You have no understanding what the criteria is to be selected and there will be hundreds of people, if not thousands, who will apply. Differences will be important. Why should they select you? I dearly hope that someone on Ealing Today does get selected, because that person can then report back to the rest of us on the questions asked. I will have a bet with you that the questions are not loaded, or they will be taken to the cleaners under the Market Research Society's Code of Conduct.If it helps I won't be selected because I never had had a parking ticket in over 35 years of driving. I commonly pay more for parking than others since I don't want the stress of being given a parking ticket. These days it is more important than ever for me to be 'clean,' as a rental or a car club company will potentially slap an additional £35 or so to the PCN for admin purposes. That's what I calll wicked.     

Ben Owen ● 1285d

I have applied and await my invitation. Happy to donate the fee to charity if selected

N V Brooks ● 1285d

I should have added that I am doing this as a blue badge user because I have only ever had one parking PCN which I successfully appealed as the name of the road on which I was parked was spelt incorrectly and an incorrect postcode was given. I was ticketed in Singapoor (sic) Road W5. This was before the days of automated PCNs and camera evidence.

N V Brooks ● 1285d

Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that you get picked, Nigel. I would love it, just love it, to know what is being asked? And what is in store. These research projects are always very interesting. Recently I took part in some research for a NHS poster campaign. The campaign has yet to be rolled out. For now I won't say anything more about it other than my ideas, if used, will have an impact on everyone!

Ben Owen ● 1284d

Bdest one I had was a morning reviwing a new car model in a nondescript industrial unit in Wandsworth. Must have been around 100 people there reviewing names, colours, features. Basically we were being asked to confirm decisions already take and some, including me, were unhappy at this especially as many found the car lacking in many areas, notably space and comfort.  Ten of us (gthe more 'vocal' ones) were asked to 'remain behind for up to an hour' for more detailed questioning with the promise of an extra fee.Having given our, unstructured, opinions we were thanked and sent on our way with an additional £200 each! Our opinions were proven right as the model in question only lasted around three years on the UK market before being quietly withdrawn

N V Brooks ● 1284d

"Basically we were being asked to confirm decisions already take...."Have to agree, this is almost invariably what happens when a "Consultancy" is hired by anyone these days, you have to suspect that the "Consultancy" is working to and confirming a client's brief.  The loaded/biased questions often give it away.The whole "Market Research" etc industry is in disrepute IMHO.Happy to be proven wrong.

Rosco White ● 1284d

Let's see if I get selected first.

N V Brooks ● 1284d

You wait until I get on!Have tried but there seems to be a problem registering.Mr Owen, I will give a truthful & honest appraisal if selected

Peter Yale ● 1284d

I think on Bens rationale I would apply as I'm intrigued but as my company often engages M R we do have to argue with the findings and the questions asked.Too often we have had reports of what they think we want to hear and steer but it's often way off.I too have never had a parking ticket but in my voluntary work have helped a lot of people, mainly Blue Badge holders who get very stressed at having to make representations or appeals.  I'm pleased to say that nearly all have been successful but that's with help and expertise and a lot of footwork.  Not something a great many can do when they have enough on their plate already.If it is genuine to bring some improvements ( especially with Hospital trusts who are ignoring the Govt Mandatory regulations which are online and still valid for 2023) then that can be a good thing.  When a Hospital has less dedicated Disabled spaces than a DIY centre car park ( which is 100% free to use ) theres something really wrong. By very nature, there is bound to be a very high proportion of Blue Badge Holders at medical facilities and not all are well off.Which is why the ULEZ extension is a scandal. A significant proportion of the so called 'polluting vehicles' actually come in with less than 0.08 N0x at MoTs and a great many older vehicles over 16 year old pass the test and record very low annual mileages.So replacing these vehicles with newer vehicles with virtually the same emission levels achieves what exactly?  it's win win for the second hand car business but a massive waste of raw materials which increases no decreases the carbon footprint. Couple that with the huge amount of infrastructure and energy required for the massive enforcement network and the carbon offset is ..more than 20 years.So is this really for a different reason.Either way it hits the elderly, mobility restricted and disabled hardest. With only those on benefits with any concession which is a tiny percentage of those with disabilities or age related limitations.So I can hope this time this research does get the right people and a clear and honest picture.  But I remain rather sceptical as it seldom turns out that way.

Raymond Havelock ● 1284d

Sadly the buffoons at TfL have arbitrarily decided to impose a penalty based on age rather than actual emissions. As you quite rightly state there are plenty of vehicles older than the arbitrary cut-off point which actually produce less pollution than modern vehicles and it would be really easy from the TA and V5C records to match pollution levels against vehicle registration and then enforce via ANPR.  If only the ULEZ extension was anything other than a cynical tax raising exercise.

N V Brooks ● 1284d

I think the fact that they have not even looked at the MoT figures or emissions tests for passing vehicles underlines that this is a means to install a road pricing scheme via the back door knowing it's not a vote winner.Everyone, including environmentalists, has been simply mislead, conned and lured in by it all.

Raymond Havelock ● 1283d

Sadly, 48 hours after applying, total silence.

N V Brooks ● 1282d

I applied a second time on 15 March. No response at all, I would like to hear from anyone that actually was selected to respond.

N V Brooks ● 1273d