Parking Fines Hit 100 Million

The number of Penalty Charge Notices handed out by local authoprities rose by nearly 20% to a massive 3.4 million in 2005, according to the latest report by the National Parking Adjudication Service.

The increase earned the 139 issuing councils more than £100 million in fines-based on figures assuming each owner paid at the dicounted on-time rate of £30. That works out at at around £15 million more revenue than in 2004, when nearly 2.9 million tickets were issued.

An NPAS spokesperson said the hike was due to "a significant increase in the number of councils taking over enforcement from the police". In 2004, there were 117 local authorities in control. This rose to 139 in 2005, but the NPAS spokesman added that a further 21 had joined since then. car company Is spearheading the campaign against Harlow Council in Essex who recorded the biggest hike in parking fines, with 47 per cent more tickets being issued in 2005, compared with the previous year.

The leader of Transport 2000 said the best way of reducing car useage was to reduce available parking spaces, councils seem to be using this way as a means of increasing revenue from the already over burdened motorist, the Car Party will fight for more parking spaces and a reduction in double yellow lines, which are being used to reduce on road parking spaces and increase revenue for local councils.