Parking on School zigzag lines

[JJJ1]

Help!!

I have been given 2 PCNs (2 consecutive days) for parking on the school zigzag lines.. is there any way I can challenge these? I parked my car for few minutes to pick up my son from school as he had a leg injury (hospital can verify it) and some part of my car was on the zigzag line. The parking ticket was issued by the controlled camera about 100 ytds up the road. I did not leave the vehicle unattended at any point in time and as I did not come out of the car didn’t realise that part of my car was on zigzag line. I always take extra car when I park near the school, obviously pupil safety comes first.

Can someone please advise how can I proceed with my appeal to cancel these PCNs?

[dx100uk]

no excuse sadly.

 

we dont want more kids with injuries.

 

dx

[Jamberson]

Not really - you parked where it is prohibited. You can try an appeal by requesting leniency, but it's a long shot. Still, worth a try I think.

 

In future, as you may know, you can use yellow lines to pick up passengers.

[huggy41]

I always take extra car when I park near the school, obviously pupil safety comes first.

 

Yes and that is why people that ignore the rules of the road get punished .

[JJJ1]

thanks for the advice.. I totally agree no excuses.. I was hoping to try on leniency grounds.

 

Has there been any case where they have overturned the charge on compassion.

[huggy41]

1st you would have to find someone with compassion that will be hard.

harder still will be the fact that you will have to explain why you did it twice.

 

sorry but son with bad leg still attending school can walk to a car at what point does that give you the right to break the law.

[huggy41]

as there is normaly a reduction if you pay before 14 days i would pay this is from Merton Council.

 

 

From 20 September 2010 we will issue penalty charge notices to people who illegally stop on zig-zag lines outside schools.

We are concerned about the safety of school children at the beginning and end of the school day, given the large number of cars stopped on the zig-zags outside the borough’s schools.

To discourage drivers from stopping on the zig-zags, from 20 September 2010 we will be travelling around the borough in an unmarked van installed with a CCTV camera.

We will use this to track car registration numbers and will be issuing penalty charge notices of £100, reducing to £50 if paid within 14 days, to those who illegally stop on the zig-zags.

The zig-zags are there as a warning to motorists not to stop in this part of the road. This is because the cars block the children’s view of oncoming traffic, making crossing the road unnecessarily hazardous.

[sailor sam]

Pet hate of mine this. I used to live directly opposite a primary school and the zig-zags were totally ignored on almost every day at both the start and end of the school day and it wasn't just one or two cars either. My son attended the school and had to cross the road from our house to get to the school entrance on the opposite side where he had to negotiate his way to the pavement between the cars. Obvioulsy I had words many times with the headmaster who had in turn issued letters to parents and asked for the LA to act. Well eventually a child was hit while walking between the cars but fortunately only revcievd a broken arm. Amazingly though that after that there were regular patrols of either PSCO's or actual PC's outside the school issuing FPN's so the OP was lucky as I believe the offence carries 3 points. Its a pity though that it takes a child to get hurt for anything to be done about it.

 

Sorry OP, you are banged to rights here.

[Jamberson]

There have been countless PCNs cancelled on a discretionary/leniency basis - although many more which have not.

 

If you appeal within the 14 days, they should hold the PCN at the discounted rate until your appeal has been considered, and so there is nothing to lose by trying. Particularly if you can include evidence that the child was hurt, you have a chance.

[sailor sam]

You have a slim chance they may cancel one on a discretionary/leniency basis, but I very much doubt they will cancel 2. IMHO (speaking from experience), these type offences should be robustly enforced. Its not very nice seeing a child getting knocked over.

[gregs07]

No excuses and in fairness if it was the police who'd caught you you'd be 1/2 way to a ban.

[HYMN AND MI]

Personally, and not wishing to disagree with sentiments expressed above, I would ask for the evidence. Please could you state where this was and which authority. Presumably this was a Regulation 10 PCN, which acts as the Notice to Owner, since some authorities do actually leave out contents which must be contained in the PCN. Better still, if we could see the PCN?

[sailor sam]

Personally, and not wishing to disagree with sentiments expressed above, I would ask for the evidence. Please could you state where this was and which authority. Presumably this was a Regulation 10 PCN, which acts as the Notice to Owner, since some authorities do actually leave out contents which must be contained in the PCN. Better still, if we could see the PCN?

 

Why? The OP admits to parking on the zig zags. Under the circumstances, the only advice I will offer is to appeal as suggested by Jamberson where by she MAY get at least one cancelled. If she starts rocking the boat by demanding evidence, she is less likely to be shown any leniency. As I understand it, the PCN was issued by a remote camera which suggests that there is sufficient evidence to show the offence being committed.

 

As I said, imo any person who get caught stopping on zig zags is bang to rights.

[HYMN AND MI]

Why? The OP admits to parking on the zig zags. Under the circumstances, the only advice I will offer is to appeal as suggested by Jamberson where by she MAY get at least one cancelled. If she starts rocking the boat by demanding evidence, she is less likely to be shown any leniency. As I understand it, the PCN was issued by a remote camera which suggests that there is sufficient evidence to show the offence being committed.

 

 

As I said, imo any person who get caught stopping on zig zags is bang to rights.

 

The OP asks is there any way to challenge this. And states the vehicle was some part over the zigzags. I fail to understand how, by asking to view the video/receive a copy in the post, this will jeopardise her chances of winning on mitigating circumstances. In fact, it may make her decide, if the vehicle was further in contravention than she believed it was, to pay the charges.

 

I thought the purpose of this forum was to help motorists get off tickets. I am not in the business of making moral judgments on people as we are all human and perhaps there was nowhere else to park at those times and she was genuinely putting the interests of her child, rightly or wrongly, before the law. Am I to take it, then, that I am somewhat of an outcast merely because I wish to help? If that were the case, there would be no defence lawyers, would there? Oh well, people who drive down bus lanes, park on DYL's, park in disabled bays when they shouldn't etc etc - whom I have helped - perhaps should not have been helped?

 

I have not seen any evidence therefore I cannot possibly make a judgments re health and safety matters. And I have been a single parent having to do the school runs.

[Raykay]

Why? The OP admits to parking on the zig zags. Under the circumstances, the only advice I will offer is to appeal as suggested by Jamberson where by she MAY get at least one cancelled. If she starts rocking the boat by demanding evidence, she is less likely to be shown any leniency. As I understand it, the PCN was issued by a remote camera which suggests that there is sufficient evidence to show the offence being committed.

 

But the council paperwork has got to be in order, it's no different to any other council PCN in that respect, which is why the information is being requested.

[HYMN AND MI]

Agreed. I parked some years ago outside my daughter's school in Surbiton outside of any restrictions, so I thought! Guess what? Unbeknown to two headteachers (2 schools adjoining) the crafty council had added a single yellow to the yellow zigzags without informing anyone, claiming that the CPZ took precedence! No way, as I discovered the CPZ was not correctly signed in any event and the council had no record of the works/contract number re the addition of the SYL. So, I would ask to see the Traffic Order, too.

[huggy41]

HYMN AND MI

 

she was genuinely putting the interests of her child,

YOU GOT THAT BIT RIGHT. and for that reason pay the fine.just goes to show did not care for the other children whose parents had parked legally.

[HYMN AND MI]

Thanks. But, how do you know the other parents had parked legally?

[huggy41]

they are not on here trying to get out of paying a fine

[charterman]

Help!!

I have been given 2 PCNs (2 consecutive days) for parking on the school zigzag lines.. is there any way I can challenge these? I parked my car for few minutes to pick up my son from school as he had a leg injury (hospital can verify it) and some part of my car was on the zigzag line. The parking ticket was issued by the controlled camera about 100 ytds up the road. I did not leave the vehicle unattended at any point in time and as I did not come out of the car didn’t realise that part of my car was on zigzag line. I always take extra car when I park near the school, obviously pupil safety comes first.

 

Can someone please advise how can I proceed with my appeal to cancel these PCNs?

 

You would find it very diificult to challenge these tickets because you should know not to park on the zig-zags outside a school from the Highway Code. I take it you took a driving test and signed a document at the end of the test when you passed stating that you would drive in accordance with the rules and regulations of the road.

Forget about son's bad leg because he would have walked further from his classroom to your car than for you to illegally park on zig-zags. The purpose of these markings is to protect children. They are to give them and motorists a clear view so to stop children running out between parked cars.

You should pay the fines and park legally in future and be grateful no child was knocked down because of your selfishly parked car creating a hazard.

[HYMN AND MI]

OK then. So that I do not waste any more of my time, please just give us a list of all contraventions with their codes in terms of which you are not prepared to help a motorist by merely taking the moral high ground stance, and I will then know that it is not worthwhile to offer any help purely based on the legalities under question.

[sailor sam]

The OP asks is there any way to challenge this. And states the vehicle was some part over the zigzags. I fail to understand how, by asking to view the video/receive a copy in the post, this will jeopardise her chances of winning on mitigating circumstances. In fact, it may make her decide, if the vehicle was further in contravention than she believed it was, to pay the charges.

 

yes she does which means that the offence has been committed. ANY part of the vehicle must not be on the zig zags. I accept the rest of your statement.

 

 

I thought the purpose of this forum was to help motorists get off tickets.

 

It is, those that have been wrongly or incorrectly issued. But parking where it causes a danger to children is a different ball game in my book.

 

I am not in the business of making moral judgments on people as we are all human and perhaps there was nowhere else to park at those times and she was genuinely putting the interests of her child, rightly or wrongly, before the law.

 

Perhaps you would think otherwise if you have actually witnessed a child being knocked over because of cars parkied illegally outside a school like I have. Believe me, it isn't very pleasent which is why I feel so strongly about it.

 

Am I to take it, then, that I am somewhat of an outcast merely because I wish to help? If that were the case, there would be no defence lawyers, would there? Oh well, people who drive down bus lanes, park on DYL's, park in disabled bays when they shouldn't etc etc - whom I have helped - perhaps should not have been helped?

 

I have not seen any evidence therefore I cannot possibly make a judgments re health and safety matters. And I have been a single parent having to do the school runs.

 

To be honest (and no disrespect), these are ridiculous comparissons. The examples you state are usually offences which cause traffic delays and incvonvienince to other road uses, not potential life threatening scenarios involving children comming or going to school.

[HYMN AND MI]

OK, I understand where you are coming from. But, interestingly, the OP states she did not realise she was on the zigzag. So, surely, she has the right to defend herself?

[huggy41]

I have been given 2 PCNs (2 consecutive days) for parking on the school zigzag lines.

 

once maybe twice no

[HYMN AND MI]

Quite, the reason being what she perceives as the condition of her child's leg. My stance is as above, plus check the signage is compliant.