The New £100 Parking Fine

The British parking industry employs more than 60,000 people and is a multi million pound business. Parking is set to become an even bigger money spinner with recent proposals to raise the parking fines in Scotland to £100.

Parking in the UK, a Major Money Spinner

There around 26,000 car parks in the UK and the revenue made from parking in England alone comes to £1.3 billion per year. Parking in Britain is a money spinner and definite profit maker for UK councils. The introduction of the new parking rules under the Road Traffic Act 1991 permitted local councils to enforce parking regulations. Before the new rules came out parking regulations fell under the ruling of the courts and the police. With parking fines set to increase in some parts of the country it seems as if the councils are maximising the profits that can be made from parking.

Proposed £100 Parking Fines

Motorists in Scotland look set to face rises in parking fines under new proposals to increase parking fines from £60 to £100. Councils that are considering this rise claim that the new parking fines will help to decrease illegal parking and pay for extra staffing costs. The increase is also aimed at helping to offset costs against the many appeals against parking tickets. Parking fines look set to increase to at least £80 and there is the option to increase this to £100. The new increases have outraged motorists and motoring associations who claim this is just another tax on motorists.

Parking Fines Across Britain

Parking fines of £100 and over are not uncommon in London. The congested capital has had car parking problems for many years, which is one of the reasons that the Congestion Charge was introduced. Car parking fines in London range from £80 to £120 depending on the type of parking offence committed. In most cities around the UK parking fines will usually range from £40 to £80. This fee can be reduced by 50% if the fine is paid within 14 days.

Parking Fines and Appeals Websites

Increasing parking fines and the exorbitant profits made by the councils has long been a controversial issue for many motorists. Appealing against parking tickets is available but many motorists simply pay the fine without lodging an appeal. There are many websites that will give parking fine appeal information and free downloadable guides that will show exactly how to appeal. Beware of sites that offer to fight parking fines for motorists for a fee. Appealing against a parking ticket is a simple process that will not cost a penny.

Increasing Use of CCTV to Generate Parking Fines

Increasing numbers of councils throughout the UK are using CCTV to capture motorists who infringe parking rules. Estimates show that 34 councils have taken advantage of the CCTV technology and this technology generates £3 million in revenue every year to each council. Once the violation has been captured on CCTV a ticket is automatically generated and sent to the motorist. But those opposing the use of CCTV claim that the cameras cannot pick up disabled badges or motorists who stop briefly to view maps or drop off passengers.

Is it Worth Appealing Against a Parking Fine?

If the motorist has valid legal grounds to appeal against a parking fine then it is certainly worthwhile. The fact is that 65% of parking fine appeals are won by motorists during the appeal stage. Yet only 1% of motorists do actually appeal against these fines. The appeal process is a simple procedure, and if the appeal was written within the 14 day discount period the discount will still stand. Motorists who think they have been ticketed unfairly should always appeal; there is a very good chance that they will win the appeal.

There seems to be no doubt that local authorities in the UK are making huge profits from car parks and parking fines. Motorists are understandably angry at proposed parking fine increases that could mean paying £100 if parked illegally for a few minutes. Appealing against a parking fine is an option open to motorists. With the high success rate of appeals against parking fines in favour of motorists, this is one option that should be used more frequently.

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