LEASING and rental companies have won a test case establishing that they are not liable for parking fines incurred by drivers of their vehicles. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association appealed to the Parking Committee for London amid fears that contract hire companies and rental businesses could not pass on liability.

BVRLA chairman and managing director of Highway Vehicle Leasing Colin McLean, said: 'The previous state of affairs was very confused, but now its clear cut. If, while driving a contract hired or rental vehicle, you incur a parking fine then you are liable for it. We need a simplification of the law to make transferring liability simpler. The Government is considering a review of Road Transport Law and we are lobbying on this and other issues affecting drivers of our members' vehicles.'

The Parking Adjudicator accepted that drivers of rental vehicles were liable for parking fines they incurred, provided they had signed an undertaking of responsibility for traffic offences and that full details were shown on the rental agreement. In the case of contract hire customers, where these details are seldom known, the offending driver should be liable as a matter of logic and equity.