Councils have found themselves under scrutiny from motoring groups this week as new figures released have revealed a shocking rise in the number of parking tickets being issued to motorists.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal have released figures which show that councils in England and Wales issued more than 4 million parking tickets from April 2008 to March 2009, compared to just 2.5 million in 2003.
Despite the fact that councils are no longer allowed to generate income from parking fines under the Traffic Management Act, many motoring groups believe this rule is being ignored by many. With budgets being stretched to their limits councils are being accused of using parking fines as a way to top up resources.
Town Halls are believed to be earning a whopping £320 million each year from penalties, so hardly surprising that suspicions have been cast and questions are being asked.
An AA spokesperson has spoken out with their concerns “With the number of parking tickets at an all-time high and absolutely no evidence that an increased penalty amount will lead to better compliance, as some councils are suggesting. We believe demands for any raising of the penalty level are more about plugging holes in some council coffers”.
The number of motorists appealing against parking tickets has also raised a few eyebrows with appeals reported to have risen by 15%. And to add fuel to the fire, 57% of appeals resulted in fines being overturned. More evidence to suggest that fines are being issued excessively, in a bid to help councils stay afloat.
Councillor Peter Box, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Economy and Transport Board, has spoken out in defense of councils. He says “To put these figures into perspective, fewer than one in 200 tickets issued last year resulted in an appeal which suggests that, on the whole, parking officers are getting it right. We know parking restrictions are never going to be popular but these restrictions are in place to keep people safe, keep traffic moving and ensure parking spaces are available to those who need them.
He goes to claim that any revenue generated from fines must be plugged back into making improvements to transport. Only time will tell if this is really the case.
This article was brought to you by Think Insurance, specialists in motor trade insurance.