Motorists being 'milked' over parking fines

PARKING fines have become a cash cow for Britain’s councils, which raked in more than £328 million last year.

Now Town Halls have been accused of cashing in on the motorist as parking tickets become a “massive money-making industry.”

In Rotherham, the borough council pulled in £361,688 in parking penalties in 2007-08, but the figure dropped to £287,062 last year—an average of £1.73 for every person.

The contentious figures, which cover 99 per cent of councils in the country, have been drawn up by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which is Britain’s independent grassroots campaign for lower taxes and better government.

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They show that the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea dish out most in parking fines of any UK council, with an average of £85 per person.

It is the first time that the PTA has drawn up a national breakdown of parking fines.

It says that many people perceive parking enforcement as a money-spinning scheme and the right of councils to retain the proceeds from parking enforcement is a major source of friction between councils and the public.

They say that their research provides, for the first time, the amount collected by UK councils, to produce a national estimate of the amount raised in parking fines.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1991 local authorities were permitted to assume responsibility for on-street and off-street parking enforcement, a power until then held exclusively by the police.

In return local authorities were permitted to keep all proceeds generated. 

Any surplus income from parking enforcement is ring fenced for local transportation improvement and under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

But  local authorities rated as high performing (four star) have the freedom to spend the surplus in any way they wish.

Peter Roberts, chief executive at the Drivers’ Alliance, said: “Parking enforcement has become a massive money-making industry and we are seeing unscrupulous and target-driven enforcement of parking laws where the penalties far outweigh the offence.

“This report shows that some local authorities are treating drivers unfairly and cashing in on parking fines.”

Jennifer Dunn, policy analyst with the Drivers' Alliance and the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “While revenues are being made at the cost of the motorist, taxpayers haven't seen their Council Tax fall, or services improve.

“Motorists are being treated like cash cows, but the only people that appear to be benefiting are wardens and their bosses.”