MSE News: Councils want 70% jump in parking fines

BLT_2

Hadeon wrote: »

You would if you attracted a ticket because your wheel was grazing the white line due to the plonker in the adjacent bay inconsiderately positioning his/her vehicle in their bay.

That isn't going to happen I always make sure I am inside the lines as I know how anal traffic wardens can be, if the space aint big enough I dont park in it, if I can't find parking I go somewhere else.

Dylanwing

I find this all to be morally wrong. The point of parking restrictions and fines is supposed to be about ensuring the smooth movement of all forms of traffic. Therefore, the ideal scenario should be no tickets issued. However, Councils are now looking at this as a source of revenue, so their aim is solely about generating cash, meaning that staff will be under pressure to reach quotas of tickets. The result will be zero tolerance, and booking anyone thery can regardless of common sense, or has happened, booking legally parked vehicles on spuruious grounds. Parking restrictions will then be extended or tightened, not for any genuine reason, purely to increase the number of tickets. A friend parked over the line in a near empty car park for 10 minutes, and got hit for £30 - Yes he broke a rule, but did it affect anyone in any way whatsoever? Why are motorists subject to this zero tolerance attitude, whilst more serious anti-social behavious is ignored as being trivial? Still, that's the way it is, cut police numbers, but increase traffic wardens, committing crime is fine, but don't park the getaway car illegally!

Hadeon

BLT wrote: »

That isn't going to happen I always make sure I am inside the lines as I know how anal traffic wardens can be, if the space aint big enough I dont park in it, if I can't find parking I go somewhere else.

'Never say Never' BLT - 'they' and their ilk can be 'anal' even in circumstances where you haven't put a foot wrong. (Personal experience of this as well as helping out several friends with various appeals in circumstances where, to be blunt, the council concerned have acted dishonestly/criminally.)

I'm sure you must be aware of some of the countless horror stories out there.

darkwarrior

If it meant people either parked on their drive or walked their asses over to an off road parking site I'd be more in favour of it. Nothing like two lane roads being reduced to 1 car-wide lanes so people don't have to go more than 4 feet to get in their car. I'd especially love enforcement outside schools since entire roads grind to a halt because the parents are just as lazy there as they were when they walked 4 feet from their door to get in the car.

As for increasing fines, hells no, £25 isn't a deterrent? £25 is a hell of a lot of money, only someone with money to burn would think that "Hey its only £25, Ill park here and take the ticket"

Personally when I was working at a xmas temp one year, I got a ticket. DIdn't see any signs, rang up to pay and the lady said "You have two tickets". I said "no, of course I don't"

"Nope, you have two tickets, I have the photos"

So she was either lying or someone thought it'd be funny to take the ticket off my car, WHICH if I had gotten, I wouldn't have parked there for the second ticket. But of course, screw the little guy paying his road tax, you're gonna pay both tickets.

If they increase fines they should make it far easier to appeal and overturn and there should be a 5 minute grace period, not 3. 5 minutes isn't going to kill anyone, yet getting back to your car 30 seconds late is worth £25 worth of harm to others? No.

Coupon-mad

Of course the fines should not be increased, they are high enough - it just shows the whole enforcement by Councils is the cash-cow that we already know it is.

But either way you can successfully appeal Council PCNs in most cases so no worries if you feel you have grounds for appeal (or even if you don't it's got to be worth the time & trouble...).

And if any MSEer stumbles across this thread and DOESN'T realise that private parking tickets are not real fines and should NOT be paid - where have you been?

Please, if you are a newbie to this board, read the parking forum threads so you know about ignoring private Parking Charge Notices (bogus PCNs) and appealing Council Penalty Charge Notices (the real thing) successfully:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

HTH

Oneday77

If the aim of councils is to increase revenue then why not: -

Publish the amount of parking infringments they issue each month\year.
What the actual infringement was i.e. poorly parked, double yellows, over time
Set targets less than now by say half but double fines.

That way they are held accountable by measure, they earn the same money for half the tickets issued, they need less money wasted on yellow meanies and they can be more flexible on slight issues.

As for Disabled badges they should be enforced strictly and used with common sense. Some Blue badges think yellows on sharp junction are fine to park 4 feet from the corner. Also people parking in Disabled bays and child spaces need fined properly.
No kids with you don't use the space. No blue badge holder with you but your have the badge don't use it. This may be non-PC but ask the driver for ID when they return to the car to ensure they are the badge holder or they are present.

Coupon-mad

Oneday77 wrote: »

Also people parking in Disabled bays and child spaces need fined properly.
No kids with you don't use the space.

You've strayed into the world of private parking with this paragraph. There are no enforceable parent and child bays (Councils do not provide them) and why should there be any?

And I speak as a Mum of four school-age kids, been there done that and IMHO parents DO NOT need special spaces just to get a buggy out that's usually in the boot anyway! These advisory spaces are just a gimmick, a retailer's attempt towards trying to encourage more families to come to their Supermarket. That's all, they are not based on any law or anything at all.

IMHO it's not a good route to go down to try to create more and more fines and offences - it would create a Big Brother state. What next, 'real' fines for stepping on a crack in the pavement?