DfT Consultation on local authority parking

[Michael Browne]

The Department for Transport has issued a consultation document on council parking.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263815/parking-consultation.pdf

 

The proposals include a ban on the use of CCTV for parking enforcement, whether there should be statutory 'grace' periods, whether adjudicators should be able to have discretionary powers and clearer guidance when adjudicators can allow costs.

 

The DfT invites your views on current local authority parking strategies and on options they are considering to change the balance of how parking is enforced.

 

The consultation ends on 14th February 2014.

 

Q1. Do you consider local authority parking enforcement is being applied fairly and reasonably in your area?

 

Q2.The Government intends to abolish the use of CCTV cameras for parking enforcement. Do you have any views or comments on this proposal?

 

Q3. Do you think the traffic adjudicators should have wider powers to allow appeals?

 

Q4. Do you agree that guidance should be updated to make clear in what circumstances adjudicators may award costs? If so, what should those circumstances be?

 

Q5. Do you think motorists who lose an appeal at a parking tribunal should be offered a 25% discount for prompt payment?

 

Q6.Do you think local residents and firms should be able to require councils to review yellow lines, parking provision, charges etc in their area? If so, what should the reviews cover and what should be the threshold for triggering a review?

 

Q7.Do you think that authorities should be required by regulation to allow a grace period at the end of paid for parking?

 

Q8. Do you think that a grace period should be offered more widely

– for example a grace period for overstaying in free parking bays, at the start of pay and display parking and paid for parking bays, and in areas where there are parking restrictions (such as loading restrictions, or single yellow lines)?

 

Q9. If allowed, how long do you think the grace period should be?

 

Q10. Do you think the Government should be considering any further measures to tackle genuinely anti-social parking or driving? If so, what?

 

You can respond on-line here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T8W8R2F

[green_and_mean]

Maybe if they invested a few quid in educating people on where they can park then maybe it wouldn't be such an issue? Only the govt would think that being too successful at catching people breaking the law is a good reason to stop doing so, whatever next a maximum quota on the number of tickets a CEO is allowed to issue a day? The suggestions just show that the govt is just going for cheap votes nothing else and some of the ideas are so half baked its laughable.

Lets make it law that you have to give 5 minutes grace at the end of a P&D ticket.....great idea! People will just add the 5 minutes on to the parking time and still get just as many PCNs and still complain that a ticket issued after 6 minutes is harsh because they are only 1 minute late. The same applies to grace periods in free bays thats suggested, if it says 30 mins free parking drivers will just get 35 minutes, so Councils will change traffic order/signs to get 25 mins its ridiculous.

How can you possibly give 25% discount after losing at PATAS 25% of what? You give 50% for 14 days then it goes up to the full amount, then if you appeal to PATAS it goes back down again?? What if you appeal to the Council and get rejected you will pay more than if you go all the way to PATAS its bonkers!!

[TheBogsDollocks]

Maybe if they invested a few quid in educating people on where they can park then maybe it wouldn't be such an issue? Only the govt would think that being too successful at catching people breaking the law is a good reason to stop doing so, whatever next a maximum quota on the number of tickets a CEO is allowed to issue a day? The suggestions just show that the govt is just going for cheap votes nothing else and some of the ideas are so half baked its laughable.

Lets make it law that you have to give 5 minutes grace at the end of a P&D ticket.....great idea! People will just add the 5 minutes on to the parking time and still get just as many PCNs and still complain that a ticket issued after 6 minutes is harsh because they are only 1 minute late. The same applies to grace periods in free bays thats suggested, if it says 30 mins free parking drivers will just get 35 minutes, so Councils will change traffic order/signs to get 25 mins its ridiculous.

How can you possibly give 25% discount after losing at PATAS 25% of what? You give 50% for 14 days then it goes up to the full amount, then if you appeal to PATAS it goes back down again?? What if you appeal to the Council and get rejected you will pay more than if you go all the way to PATAS its bonkers!!

 

I agree. Clearly it's not been given any serious thought by someone intelligent.

 

In my opinion it would be better to do away with the informal challenge altogether. It's a waste of time and costly to administer. I'd have the 14 day discount period for those who accept they parked in contravention and after 14 days issue a NtO so those who want to appeal can get on with it. If reps are rejected then a council can always re-offer the discount if they think the circumstances merit it. If rejected and dissatisfied then onto adjudication. I'd like adjudicators though to have a little more scope such as being able to consider mitigation.

 

At a time when councils have no money it seems absurd to complicate things even more with more bureacracy. Ultimately the cost falls upon the taxpayer

[green_and_mean]

What I find worrying is that it doesn't seem to concern anyone at the standard of driving involved that results in the millions of PCNs being issued. If you take off the over-stayers and those that gamble on not paying without being caught the rest are basically parking or driving where not permitted, something the govt. is now appearing to say is acceptable. Parking is not a game although for administrative reasons its been decriminalised the contraventions are still just as wrong as when they where a criminal offence. By removing the option of cctv they are in my view saying that the offenders are guilty but deserve more of a chance to escape? If they don't want people being caught breaking the regulations why have them in the first place. Education is the answer, why not run ads on TV telling people what loading is or how bus lanes work dispell a few myths not waste money trying to work out how to let more people off.

[simonmcl]

Would it be fair to get a parking ticket issued by a CCTV camera for parking quite legally? I am a disabled driver who parked legally in a disabled bay and clearly displayed a blue badge but the local council still issued a ticket on the basis that the CCTV operator had seen me park but not display a blue badge. I appealed and it turned out that the CCTV camera was at the REAR of my car and so would never see anything displayed. The council also gave me a ticket for parking in a 'loading only' zone where waiting was limited to 20 minutes. The ticket issued clearly stated that the vehicle was observed from 10.01am to 10.03am.. so parking for 2 minutes whilst getting goods loaded constituted a 'contravention' The appeal stated clearly that the Council had been over zealous and that both instances were incorrectly issued and not valid. There are more illegally issued PCNs overturned at appeal because the Council only see the motorist as a cash cow to make up budget deficits.

[Jamberson]

Were they cancelled? The first one sounds ludicrous - unless they could see the windscreen they would have no idea if a BB was on display. It could have been there before you pulled up.

[green_and_mean]

Would it be fair to get a parking ticket issued by a CCTV camera for parking quite legally? I am a disabled driver who parked legally in a disabled bay and clearly displayed a blue badge but the local council still issued a ticket on the basis that the CCTV operator had seen me park but not display a blue badge. I appealed and it turned out that the CCTV camera was at the REAR of my car and so would never see anything displayed. The council also gave me a ticket for parking in a 'loading only' zone where waiting was limited to 20 minutes. The ticket issued clearly stated that the vehicle was observed from 10.01am to 10.03am.. so parking for 2 minutes whilst getting goods loaded constituted a 'contravention' The appeal stated clearly that the Council had been over zealous and that both instances were incorrectly issued and not valid. There are more illegally issued PCNs overturned at appeal because the Council only see the motorist as a cash cow to make up budget deficits.

 

The fact is the evidence was on cctv which helped your case and you got the PCNs cancelled, I fail to see the point you are trying to make? People get PCNs for being in a loading bay for 2 minutes everyday by CEOs on foot why is cctv any worse?

[ftm100]

Would it be fair to get a parking ticket issued by a CCTV camera for parking quite legally? I am a disabled driver who parked legally in a disabled bay and clearly displayed a blue badge but the local council still issued a ticket on the basis that the CCTV operator had seen me park but not display a blue badge. I appealed and it turned out that the CCTV camera was at the REAR of my car and so would never see anything displayed. The council also gave me a ticket for parking in a 'loading only' zone where waiting was limited to 20 minutes. The ticket issued clearly stated that the vehicle was observed from 10.01am to 10.03am.. so parking for 2 minutes whilst getting goods loaded constituted a 'contravention' The appeal stated clearly that the Council had been over zealous and that both instances were incorrectly issued and not valid. There are more illegally issued PCNs overturned at appeal because the Council only see the motorist as a cash cow to make up budget deficits.

 

 

Am i the only that thinks that that loading bay should be only for good vehicles if a goods vehicle is parked in a disabled bay they soon get a ticket even if the loading bay is been occupied by a disabled driver ?

[Jamberson]

Am i the only that thinks that that loading bay should be only for good vehicles if a goods vehicle is parked in a disabled bay they soon get a ticket even if the loading bay is been occupied by a disabled driver ?

 

I don't see the logic. If you are making a delivery to a shop, you might use an estate car or small van. Why does it matter what type of vehicle you use?

 

I don't think a goods vehicle would necessarily be barred from using a disabled bay, provided a blue badge was being legitimately used. It would depend on the local authority's policy.