Motorists hit by higher parking fees and fines

Monday January 4, 2010

Local councils raised £1.9 billion from parking fees and fines last year, with some doubling the amount of money they squeeze out of motorists

Official financial returns from more than 400 local authorities for 2008/2009 show that the drivers are paying increasing amounts of money for parking their vehicles. In 2005/06, the amount collected from parking fines, fees and permits was £1.7 billion, meaning the total has risen by 13 per cent.

Jennifer Dunn, policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said the figures showed councils are using drivers as “cash cow”.

She said: “Councils are generating huge amounts of revenue through parking, which has clearly become an increasingly lucrative source of income to finance rapidly growing bureaucracies in the local authorities.

“With council tax having doubled across the country, motorists in some areas where parking revenue has also doubled are being treated as cash cows.

Source: Daily Telegraph (4 January 2010)

The paper also reports that parking wardens have issued more than £40,000 worth of fines in one small city street during the course of three years.

East Street is just 400ft long but has been the focus of so many tickets one driver believes it is a “trap” for motorists.

During the past year, 552 tickets have been issued to motorists parking on the single yellow lines in the road, with 223 of those handed out on Sundays.

Full article: Daily Telegraph (4 January 2010)