Small print on signs at a tram park and ride hid the fact I could get clamped

A tiny print warning on a sign at a Nottingham tram park and ride site caught out motorists who relied on the adjacent public park as a shortcut into the city centre. A £140 penalty was slapped on the car after it failed to display a ticket from the tram service, which is mandated for users of the facility.

The issue came to light when the driver noticed tiny text on posters scattered throughout the site stating that drivers must purchase a ticket upon arrival - information not clearly broadcast by the large, prominent signs near the entrance. In fact, these signs simply stated that car park users must use the tram. This discrepancy led to an appeal against the clamp, which was ultimately rejected.

The fine is staggering, particularly when compared with other parking fines levied in the city, where motorists are fined £50 for contravening restrictions elsewhere. The hefty penalty has raised questions about the fairness and transparency of Nottingham's park and ride system.

According to statutory guidelines from the Department for Transport, clamping should only be used on private land in exceptional circumstances - such as persistent offenders or failure to pay a previous fine. These measures must also be proportionate and reasonable. However, under the current bylaws approved by Nottingham city council, contractors are allowed to clamp without regard to these guidelines.

Tramlink's CEO denies that the signs were unclear, stating they are "clearly visible". The company retains any fines paid to private enforcement companies contracted for this service. While Tramlink has explored alternatives in the past, it believes its current process is the most effective solution.

[Image of a shrugging emoticon ]

[Animated GIF of a car getting a parking ticket with a giant stamp saying "£140" on it ]

[Photo of a sign with tiny text, overlaid with a magnifying glass and a red "x" symbol, indicating confusion ]

[Meme of a person holding a sign that says "I'm not trying to be unclear!" ]

[Image of a clock with a broken hour hand, implying the process is flawed ]

OMG u cant believe the tram park n ride thingy!!! so theres these tiny print warrnings everywhere but ppl r still getting slapped w/ a £140 fine lol what kinda system is that?! i mean i get it, they gotta make money somehow but this is just crazy! its like ur supposed to read teeny tiny text on posters at a park n ride site or something and yeah the signs near the entrance r pretty misleading too - they just say u gotta use the tram without mentioning the ticket thingy. i mean what's up w/ that?!

I'm so confused about this tram park and ride thingy... I mean, £140 is like, a whole lot of money! I'd be all "where's my cash?" I feel bad for that poor driver who got caught out. It's just that the signs were tiny print and not super clear, you know? Like, if they're gonna say it in big letters on the main sign, why put it in teeny text on posters?

omg what a joke £140 fine for not buying tram ticket?? like how do you even figure that out? and the signs are all over the place - one says use tram another says pay parking fee... which one is it?!? i mean, it's clear they didn't do their research on this one.

i get where tramlink wants to make cash, but this fine system is so outdated & unfair. £50 for parking elsewhere in the city seems way more reasonable tbh and those contractors just taking fines without checking guidelines? no thanks!

omg u gotta feel for those poor motorists who got caught out by that tiny print warning ! £140 is like, whoa! especially when compared to other parking fines in the city . i think the issue lies with the signage - it's clear Tramlink thinks they're above transparency . I mean, if you're gonna put up posters stating "must use tram", shouldn't those signs be a bit more prominent? and what about the appeal process? it sounds like it was kinda railroaded .

anyway, this whole thing has me wondering if Nottingham's park and ride system is more of a revenue stream for Tramlink than a convenient service for commuters . i hope they take another look at their bylaws and find a way to make things fairer and more transparent .

I mean, what's going on here really? It feels like a big ol' mess . On one hand, you got these motorists who are just trying to navigate their way through the city, and suddenly they're slapped with a £140 fine for not displaying a ticket that wasn't even clearly communicated to them in the first place. That's some harsh punishment right there.

And then on the other hand, you got the tram company saying that the signs were "clearly visible" . Like, do we really need to question what's considered 'clear' these days? It just feels like a whole system is broken, and people are getting caught in the middle.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it makes you wonder about the balance between fairness and efficiency. Are these fines really serving a purpose, or are they just lining the pockets of private enforcement companies? It's all pretty confusing, innit?

Ugh can't believe how much a tiny print on a poster can screw people over I mean, come on who actually reads those tiny lines? It's like they expect you to be some kind of tram-riding ninja or something The problem isn't the signs, it's that there's not enough info out there for drivers to know what's expected of them. And £140 is just ridiculous I mean, if you can afford a ticket then great, but what about those who can't? It feels like they're picking on people and making life even harder in the city.

OMG just saw a guy get fined £140 for parking at a tram park and ride site without a ticket!!! I mean, I know it's not exactly rocket science but come on! The signs are right there, tiny print or not. It's like they want to make sure we know the rules, but then slap us with a massive fine if we don't play by them. What's up with that?!? And btw, £50 for parking elsewhere in the city is like, super reasonable , so this one feels like a bit of a rip-off to me

Ugh I just had the weirdest dream last night about trying to find a decent parking spot at a music festival ... anyway, back to this tram thing... £140 for not buying a ticket? That's like, crazy! I mean, what's the worst that could happen if you forget or don't wanna spend the cash? You get fined and stuff. It doesn't seem right. And those signs at the park and ride site are just so annoying... tiny print, right? Can't they just make it bigger or something? I'm not saying I'd know anything about parking fines or whatever, but come on!

I think £140 is a totally reasonable fine . I mean, who doesn't know that they need a tram ticket when you're using their park and ride service? It's not like people are just gonna drive around with no intention of using the tram or anything . And yeah, if it was unclear on the signs, that's not the driver's fault... maybe Tramlink should've made the signs bigger, I guess . But still, £140 seems pretty steep compared to other parking fines in the city. Should be a good learning experience for people who don't pay attention to signs .

I'm so annoyed by this! I mean, come on, a £140 fine for not displaying a ticket that's basically hidden on tiny print? It doesn't seem very reasonable to me. And what really gets my goat is that there are huge signs at the entrance saying "use tram" but no one tells you to buy a ticket first! I'd say this whole system needs a major overhaul. The fines need to be more in line with other parking fees in the city, and those private enforcement companies need to follow some guidelines too. It's just not fair to motorists who are trying to get around the city center.

£140 for not displaying a ticket? That's just peachy. What's next, a fine for looking at the poster on the back of your car ? It's like they're trying to squeeze every last penny out of drivers in Nottingham. And what's with the clear as mud signs? If you can't trust the giant signs outside, why should you expect the tiny print on the posters to be any clearer?

I'm worried about this one . £140 for not having a tram ticket? That's bloody harsh, innit? I get that they need to make some cash from the park and ride, but this fine seems like an overreach. The signs are literally tiny and easy to miss - it's like they're trying to fine people who don't know better .

And what's with the lack of transparency in the first place? You'd think they'd want to make sure drivers are aware of the rules before slapping them with a massive fine. This whole thing just feels like a money-grab .

omg what a nightmare just found out that you get slapped with a £140 fine for not displaying a ticket when parking at a tram park and ride site even though the tiny print says u gotta buy one when u arrive but the big signs say car park users must use the tram lol what a contradiction! and honestly i think its super unfair especially since other parking fines in the city are like £50 or so... seems like tramlink is just making money off of this system and not really caring about transparency or fairness

omg the fine is just insane £140 for not knowing about a tiny print warning i mean what's next they gonna charge us for not reading the small print everywhere? this whole thing feels like a money grab to me and i'm so mad that tramlink is making all these profits off private enforcement companies

can u believe this? £140 just 4 not displayin a ticket and drivin through a public park think they're sneaky doin that! but what's really whack is the signs r small print on posters scattered around, like nobody would notice meanwhile the big signs near the entrance say somethin entirely different. so yeah, who gets the fine? not us, because we got lucky! and honestly, £50 for parkin elsewhere in the city seems way more fair.

I mean can you even imagine being fined £140 just because of a tiny print on a poster? It's not exactly rocket science, right? I think this whole situation is kinda ridiculous and unfair to drivers who are just trying to get into the city centre. And what really gets me is that there's no clear sign that says you need to buy a ticket before using the tram park and ride site - just these tiny posters that most people probably don't even notice.

I'm all for rules being in place, but this seems like an overreach of power, you know? I mean, if they're gonna clamp someone, shouldn't it be because there's been persistent offenders or something? Not just because of a little discrepancy with some signage. And what about those who can't afford to pay the fine - is that really fair?

omg this is wild £140 for not having a ticket?! i think the signs need to be more clear tbh , it's easy to miss those tiny words on posters. and what's up with the discrepancy between the big signs and the small ones? shouldn't they just be consistent?! anyway, imo this is a bit too harsh even for park & ride fines

This whole thing just screams 'regressive' taxation . I mean, come on £140 for not displaying a ticket? It's like they're trying to nickel and dime people who already pay a pretty penny to park their cars in the first place. And don't even get me started on how unclear those signs are - it's like they're intentionally trying to confuse people and generate more revenue .

And what really gets my goat is that Tramlink's CEO says the signs were "clearly visible" , but that just doesn't add up. I think this whole thing highlights a larger issue with our transportation systems - they're more focused on generating revenue than providing actual service to the public. It's time for some real reform and transparency in how these park and ride systems are run