The government is not introducing a 48-hour parking limit

Videos shared online claim that a new government policy will introduce a new “daily fee” for leaving your car parked in one location for over 48 hours. But this is completely false.

The video has been posted on Facebook and Tiktok, where it has been viewed 84,000 times. It features a voice which resembles that of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying that under the “new responsible parking rule”, people will “face a charge every day [their] vehicle stays in one spot for more than 48 hours”, even if it's parked outside their own house.

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The video circulating online claims that this is a policy aimed at “easing congestion” and will be enforced with “street sensors and AMPARO (ANPR) cameras”. The video says “leaked reports” suggest the Department for Work and Pensions may “cross check parking data with HMRC, potentially “affecting benefits for those flagged as non-movers, especially drivers who aren't employed”.

But the Department for Transport confirmed to Full Fact that the claims in this video are “completely untrue”.

However, depending on where you live there may be genuine parking restrictions in force which affect where drivers can park, including single and double yellow lines, permit parking zones and areas which you cannot park under The Highway Code.

The unnatural and even cadence of the audio suggests it was generated by artificial intelligence (AI)—although we can’t rule out it having been faked in another way, for example by using an impersonator. You can read more about how to spot AI audio, and the challenges of doing this, in our guide.

We have recently debunked a number of similar videos making false claims about incoming government changes. These include bogus claims that a £15 monthly ‘clean water levy’ is being introduced for all UK households and a £100 annual pet fee is coming in from October.

A recent investigation by Full Fact into the issue of these videos spreading on TikTok has led to 14 accounts being banned for breaching the platform’s rules, although we are continuing to see similar claims spread on social media via other accounts.

We also contacted the DWP about this parking claim, and will update this article if we receive a response.

Before sharing alarmist content on social media, first consider whether it comes from a trustworthy and verifiable source. Our Full Fact toolkit can help you do this.