Parking charges and penalties have been labelled as a stealth tax by motoring organisations after councils have made record profit of £867m in the 2017/18 financial year.
London councils topped the charts, averaging £1m per day. Just 39 of the 353 councils failed to make a profit or break even.
Record charges
A recent report has found that parking charges (on & off-street parking) and fines have raised over £1.6bn in revenue for local councils between 2017/18, of which, £867m is pure profit – an increase of over £50m from the previous financial year.
The law states that any surplus monies made from parking have to be reinvested in the local transport infrastructure, which includes the running of subsidised buses – it can’t just be added to the council’s coffers, to be used where they see fit.
The RAC Foundation carried out a similar study seven years ago, the latest findings show that the profit made by councils has increased by around 70% in those seven years; this is no longer about covering running costs, this is pure profit.
Stealth tax
We’re used to hearing the phrase ‘stealth tax’ being associated with the motorist, many of the large motoring organisations have argued that the parking charges are just that – a stealth tax – and are partly responsible for the closing of the high street as a commercial destination; drivers are voting with their wheels and preferring to shop at out-of-town retail parks, where parking is often free.
It may be no surprise that Westminster council topped the charts with parking charges and fines, raking in just over £1m per week, outside of London, it’s Brighton and Hove that top the list – pulling in £23.4m profit each year.
Councillor Martin Tett, the spokesman for the Local Government Association said: “Councils are on the side of the motorist and shoppers, they have to try and strike a balance when setting parking policy, for both on and off-street parking to make sure that there are spaces available for residents, and that high streets are kept vibrant, and that traffic is kept moving”.
But, Edmund King, President of the AA is clear: “At a time when the high street is under intense pressure, more parking incentives are needed to attract, not deter, potential customers. The cost of parking should cover the cost of providing the service, not become a stealth tax paid by a few thousand in each town”.
1 in 10
It would seem that statistics give credence to King’s argument; over the last few years, footfall in town centres has dropped by around 1.6%, while the out-of-town retail parks have seen a 1.5% increase in usage, and the high street is suffering as a direct result – over 10% of shops in town centres are currently vacant. With customers having to find more money to spend on parking, retail spend will be reduced, leading to further cuts on the high street.
While some councils are offering reduced or even free parking for certain vehicles, it’s worth remembering that a number of councils are hitting the diesel motorist even harder – adding a 50% surcharge to any parking rate.
Back in July of this year, we published a report of the most expensive places to park in the UK, and as part of that, we suggested that an investigation should be held to justify the differing amounts and parking charge policies – how can it be that some councils are trying to develop business interest on the high street – charging as little as £0.15 to park, while others can charge up to £8 for a single hour?
It would seem that with the publication of this report on ‘record profits’ that the councils are doing exactly as was suspected – propping up their ailing budget with a little help from the motorist, and yet with the money supposedly ringfenced for transportation needs, there seems little evidence that these profits are finding their way back to transportation.
How about you?
It seems that there is little that can be done regarding the parking charges. Yes, you could try an alternative form of transport, but that’s not viable for millions of motorists, and it isn’t addressing the bigger issue – that the motorist is all but virtually banned from driving in the city centre.
With councils clearing nearly £2.5m of profit each day from parking charges, it’s time that the motorist was given credit where it’s due, rather than continuing punishment for having the audacity to rely on the internal combustion engine. For some drivers who are disabled, they have no choice but to drive, and while most of the time they are able to park for free, it still seems unfair that all motorists should be punished for shopping and contributing to smaller high street shops.
What do you think about these record profits? Should something be done at a national level to curb the charges? Let us know how you feel in the comments.
The pure guff from councils about “keeping traffic moving” is just fantasy.
In Gloucester, disabled drivers park all over the double yellow lines, causing obstruction but never get fined.
have you read the rules for a blue badge, this is actually legal parking
I have as my mother held one and I often used to drive her. As a badge holder you can park on double yellows- but it’s not legal to park if you cause an obstruction!
As a Blue badge holder yes i can legally park on single yellow lines but not double yellow lines even disabled drivers have to obey the parking rules if you do not follow the rules the blue badge can be taken back
they use council owned land as a cash generator to waste more money on their stupid and useless things such us speed bumps. this land belongs to all residents who pay the forced tribute called council tax. moreover, stop paying benefits to whose who are healthy, in working age, are able to work and refuse to work (person who cares for disabled family member is considered working).
Where is this info from? Is this UK wide, Britain or individual nations? No detail, might as well be a story about fuel caps. Say how they should be managed say that fuel loss is a problem and suggest that something needs to be done. Get some randomers to voice a concern about fuel wastage to validate a suggested problem or argument. Looks like there may be an argument but it’s presented with little detail, no solutions proposed or call to action, alot of waffle and little cause for resolution.
Not a problem if badly parked, come to Shieldhill near Falkirk, a daily regular issue. BUT there should be free parking in town centres to encourage shoppers back.
Yes, but how many ticketed are badly parked? Councils put yellow lines everywhere to force people into their overpriced car parks. Wardens don’t target the badly parked, they target the maximum revenue areas of residents parking zones which are only needed because councils don’t provide free or cheap parking.
I agree with that Dave, I regularly see badly parked vehicles, vehicles parked over drives – vehicles fully parked up on kerbs – vehicles parking on junctions – vehicles blocking off pedestrian crossings…..I phone the parking enforcement team and they just blatantly tell me they won’t come out, even when I see a traffic warden and point out a vehicle parked dangerously, they refuse to ticket the offending vehicle.
Thats probably because only the police have the powers to issue tickets at junctions causing obstructions unless there are DYLs, parking on pavements etc.unless you’re in London. Dropped curbs if its someones drive they have the right to, pedestrian ones yes wardens or enforcement officers as their known as now and for the last decade or so
I agree Mark Boness is the same pavement parking double yellow lines etc Hairdressers parked all day in 20 min slots. Get better public transport and get people to use it. I say. We have loads of forgeiners with no tax or insurance .
Proof?
Yes let’s go to court when councils fine us show that we won’t lie down and take it, stop criminalising the motorist and whacking is with every tax you can think off plus diesel and fuel,prices. Drive into London and the cities on a given set day stop all motorway traffic and do it weekly until the government wake up.
Let’s do it on the first day of spring they can’t fine and jail all of us. That’s what they do in France and the government listen to them. COME ON DRIVERS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
I think, Dennis, it’s because the French have things called ‘back-bones’ which stop them from laying down to be trodden on as happens here. The serf mentality has yet to depart these islands.
Councils are really pimping out carparks to gain the maximum revenue, they keep putting up the charges and we as consumers don’t seem to have any say or rights in the matter.
As I understand the area for parking (measurement L x B )was set in the 1970s as we all know cars in the 70s were a lot smaller the eg look at the size of a mini then and now Cortina mid size car I have a Leaf and I find the parking spaces small and you can’t say the Leaf is a big car, my wife has a Qashqai and that’s even bigger.
We now need to get something back from the councils they need to increase the size of the spaces to include the bigger cars and the the charges will seem a bit fairer how they will put the prices up to cover their lost spaces. But at least it won’t cost us for repairs to the body work that happens. can Petrolprices.com campaign on our behalf?
Parking in some of Sevenoaks carparks you can barely get out of your car.
Can this not be passed on to all media channels so it can get out there and people can take action, well lets hope they do. Very unfair that Government pushed people into Diesel now they making you a sinner and to pay up more. Seems we serve the government they do not serve us.
How right you are. All governments the world over seem to have forgotten they are there to serve the people . They also make a complete hash of the economy . And then say weve all got to pull our belts in. I cant see any of those MEP,s in Brussels pulling their belts in . They just sit there copping big salaries and huge expenses . At our expense.
Actually governments whether national or local are there to serve themselves first so they can boast of the “grandiose schemes” that they have initiated and to hell with the rest of us.
And this is why local businesses are closing down….the council need to provide more parking!!!
It is of course logical that there should be a correlation between parking charges & the number of people visiting our high streets. There is no doubt still an ideological imperative to get people out of their cars but which only demonstrates how little councils really care abiout their high streets & how seriously they take their damaging ideological beliefs.
Councils ether want us in their High Street or they dont. Their energy would be better spent improving the experience. Free parking for a limited period, an hour say, might help.
I think the trouble is. The government has allowed these Shark like parking companies to take complete control ,and are now unable to stop them from their hideous plans, with the help of people like the lord mayor Sadiq Kahn whos trying his hardest to wreck this country ,with his madcap schemes. Its know wonder High Street shopping is dying . I wont even consider driving into London anymore. And i,m definitely not going to travel by train , which is an ever spiraling cost .The High Streets are now advertising on TV. Not mentioning how parking pirates are waiting to pounce on the hapless motorist. They try to get every last penny out us. Like someone once said. They tax you from birth right up and beyond the time you die. . I added the beyond .
Councils either want us in their town centres or they dont. They need to use their energy in making visiting (and hence parking) inviting. Free parking for a limited time period, an hour say, might make more sense.
I once parked in a Free for 2 Hours bay for 4 cars in our local shopping area. When I got back to the car, I had a ticket and above the car on a pole, a sign had been erected saying Parking Suspended in this bay. There were 2 other cars behind me with NO tickets. And I know this sign was not there when I parked. the council, of course, said the sign had been put up the night before and I had nothing to prove it but I am not blind or stupid enough to park in a restricted bay. The even stranger thing was why 2 other cars in the bay had no tickets, just me. I distrust councils in every respect, any money grabbing scheme seems to be ok with them and this was clearly extortion as I had to pay a fine for doing absolutely nothing wrong
possibly arrived after the civil enforcement officer, not traffic warden, had issued you a ticket
We need to select a seriously suspect council, and demand that they prove that they are not breaking the law – and then prosecute officials if they are. There is no difference between a commercial company which defrauds the public and a council or councillors who do so.
So my choices for Christmas shopping are: (1) walk from shop to shop looking at a limited range of stuff, getting cold and wet then getting fined £150 for being 0.000000000000001ns over my parking time, or (2) practically unlimited range of stuff from the warmth and comfort of my sofa buying from Amazon, which is not only cheaper including delivery but gets delivered to my front door. Not exactly hard to work out what I’m going to do is it! Support local retailers instead of some Yank bazillionaire – yeah, but that works both ways doesn’t it. Make High Street shopping an all round better experience and it’ll work a lot better for everyone. A large multistorey with plenty of free parking for everyone who wants to come, connected to an indoor shopping centre, is my suggestion.
£150 where do you live? it’s either 25/50 or 35/70 around the majority of the UK apart from london and private car parks, plus it’s now law to give 10 minutes over the expiry time until a PCN can be issued
I don’t disagree with the above theory, but will not buy online from Amazon or traders online who choose not to support our economy by a. Not paying their fair tax, b. By employing on zero hours c. Dodgy employment practices and on it goes. I would love to be able to ethically buy online from Amazon but the only reason they offer the deals they do is because they do not pay the same tax or employ their staff properly.
Hear! Hear !
Why such venom directed towards Councils. Profits made by Councils are recycled into services to the local community, or reducing local council tax. Most council car parks are cheaper than commercial car parks which generate profit for their owners. As for the private parking penalty companies I anticipate they generate much greater profits of which the public sees nothing. Have you ever heard of McDonalds or a supermarket passing on their parking fine income to the local community?
Profits made by councils are recycled in to the councilors pet ideologically driven project. Those they are supposed to serve have no say in the matter.
No and I have yet to see any evidence of the Supreme Soviets doing it either.
I remember stopping in Wigton, Cumbria, on, admittedly, double yellows, to nip into a shop. 5 mins later I’m out and about to drive off. Not a moment too soon as the traffic warden had smelled blood and was about to give a ticket.
Now, here is how I see it. At one time, the road through Wigton on which I was parked was the main road and was probably very busy. Double yellow lines may well have been a useful tool, (MAY have been,) back then
However, Wigton has for many years now been bypassed. The only traffic actually in the town is largely local traffic and perhaps people like me wanting to grab something to eat, a newspaper or whatever.
Are the double yellows really still necessary? Do they really need to have a traffic warden patrolling the streets?
Bad/obstructive parking deserves punishment, but parking in towns ought to be made easier.
Take residents only areas. Most lazy/greedy councils make them applicable 24hs/day. There are several around Durham, (a particularly lazy/greedy council,) and during the day they are pretty much empty because the residents have gone to work.
What the residents need is the ability to park when they get home.
Some enlightened councils now have schemes like residents only 1600-1000, which stops the office workers parking there all day but allows the shoppers in. There are alternatives but sadly most councils just aren’t interested/can’t be bothered.
a traffic warden? out dated a bit, they are civil enforcement officers these days, and deal with issued of dog fouling and littering too. traffic wardens were part of the police all those years back. End of the day if you risk it for a biscuit don’t complain
Martin Tett, as “spokesman for the Local Government Associaton” is, at best, worryingly complacent, or else simply lacking in integrity – and is therefore not worth listening to. Like many politicians, he blithely states what he would LIKE to be true: “Councils are on the side of the motorist and shoppers…” and “high streets need to be kept vibrant” without any regard for the enormity of what he is saying. Such ignorance on the part of a local government “spokesman” is worrying. In Islington, for example, it costs a motorist £3.08 to park (by pay-and-display) for 6 minutes – enough time to buy a loaf of bread. Does he seriously believe this is not killing off local shops? Please think before you speak, Martin. (I suppose we should be grateful that you do not work in the NHS!)
The councils / police think that the motorists has a bottomless bank accounts and wear Big Red Targets on backs.
It’s time theses councils use these profits on repairing potholes and making our roads safer.
There is a post on here regarding disabled drivers parking on yellow lines maybe it’s because that all of the disabled bays are taken up by ablebodies without Blue Badges. Councils do charge for a BB and in some areas charged for disabled parking so they get both ways 🤔😢
The only time able bodied people put themselves in a disabled persons shoes is when they use their parking space . It is selfish and unacceptable and should be rightly penalised. As for charging for disabled parking this is absolutely right. The concession to disability is the dedicated space usually closer to the shops and as for bloody parent and child spaces don’t even get me started
Many able bodied drivers use disabled bays, some using other peoples badges, OH YES THEY DO, but what takes the biscuit is seeing someone parking in a disabled bay, and then running across a road to catch a bus.
Yawn, yawn the usual ‘Stealth Tax’ argument. personally I’m really grateful for all those lovely, generous drivers who are happy to park where they know they’ll get a fine or go a little bit faster through a speed camera knowing that they’ll be contributing a bit more to the tax pot, thus allowing me to contribute a little less! Thank you all for being so kind (and also being able to get to your destinations a few minutes earlier). Of course on the other hand I feel totally gutted on the occasions when it’s been me that has been stupid enough to get caught! (although when the fines have been challenged I’ve often got away with it).
As for the person that says they’re not going to lie down that’s a great idea as doing so would be obstructing the highway.
Council increases profit via parking ticket but need to invest in borough anx not to pay bonuses or pay rise to councillar. Present everywhere leaves on road councilar says they donot have enough budget , what about old , disable, with pram and pregnant women walking on pavement and also many road got potshole not repaired.
I Refuse to shop in the town centre while the prices are so high for parking
do they not understand every time there is price increase more people stay away ( no brainer)
Paying for parking is one of my hobbyhorses and I just wont do it. As a motorist pay enough in tax so I avoid those places where parking is chargeable. If this means derelict high streets with empty shop units so be it. I can get everything I want at an out of town retail park with free parking.
Don’t worry the problem will soon go away, when all the shops in the centre of town have closed down and everyone will be shopping online. Then listen to the wails of the idiot politicians who never saw it coming and where are they going to get enough taxes to waste, sorry I mean for essential local services like their nice perks?
sadly parking charges put pressure on would be shoppers hence the demise of the unique small town centre shops
I do not see Government or Local Councils doing anything soon to interfere with their cash-cows
I’ve alway avoided parking charges and rarely use my home town centre due to parking charges and restriction. When I do i park on the edge and walk in. I use edge of town centres that have no charges and internet shopping.
A good example is Argos one of the main centre shops with NO parking has moved to edge of town Sainsbury’s, much more convenient for customers collecting.
We rarely shop in high streets due to parking fees. We avoid Brighton with the inefficient speed limits and ridiculous parking fees. Some times only need to be 15mins but minimum being an hour. Some set charges where change is needed but machines do not give change. Something needs to change or high streets will continue to decline.
More using the average, everyday motorist as a cash cow. Granted we need some parking enforcement as people being what they are will just park anywhere, anytime without thought for others. Those I have no sympathy for. Those that get caught out when trying to be sensible and park considerably and legally have my absolute sympathy. Shame on you greedy, scumbag councils.
Having been fined on technicalities by the bandits in St Albans and Hitchin I now avoid shopping at those locations. Ultimately it’s their loss.
Interestingly you are legally entitled to drive away if a ‘non-policeman’ is in the process of issuing a ticket. They have to fix the ticket to your vehicle or they lose out.
I’m afraid you’re living in la-la land. ‘Have to fix the ticket to your vehicle’ is utter tosh.
See- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/609788/statutory-guidance-local-authorities-enforcement-parking-contraventions.pdf – Section 8 on page 19.
Applicable legislation – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/3483/regulation/10/made
Well reading this only goes emphasize, how as drivers we have clouded our judgments with fundamentals of we don’t give a damn. Look we park on a secure parking area that has been provided by the council, we pay for that privilege so why do we moan when we flaunt the rules, by not paying, then receive a penalty notice fine. If we pay that few pounds in the first place, then what’s the problem. It’s not council’s that we all should be wary of its the private parking companies that are the greatest threat to drivers, as they are a callous, unwavering bunch of money grabbers that have one purpose, line their own dirty pockets. So as drivers we make a conscious choice where we park, and use the same choice to pay or not, if we don’t pay and get away with it all well and good, but this article does emphasize that the chances of getting away with it is getting more and more remote. That theory applies to all parking fees large or small. We abide by the rules then there is no issue, as monies for these would be none existent.
Agree with all the above, take responsibility for yourselves. However in France they do have active shopping centres, yes they charge for parking in some areas, but it is far cheaper to park and they do not have the plethora of charity shops, but have charity markets. Well in the area of the Dordogne where I lived that was the case.
I would imagine most people don’t mind paying to park, if the charge is reasonable and the shops of a good quality. I am not paying a high parking charge to visit Poole in Dorset whose high street is full of low quality shops, estate agents and charity shops with the odd decent coffee shop here and there. I would rather drive to Dorchester for a far better shopping experience. Cheaper parking, more lively and interesting shops. Shopping in Perigue in France was a wonderful experience, with shops for all budgets. Here the Poole high street is very sad, underfunded, and dying a fast death due to the utter stupidity of the council.
Short sighted and idiotic policies, and now (following the budget changes) we are going to have developers buying up our high streets and turning them into yuppie style flats and housing that is supposed to be affordable but in Poole none of our supposed to be affordable housing is affordable for people on low incomes.
Motorists have always been an easy target. Unfortunately the public transport network is increasingly unreliable, time consuming and expensive. There is no viable alternative so car drivers take the hit and get on with it.
My City collects hundreds of thousands of pounds in fines every year from motorists, but will NOT divulge where the money goes. We have a few Park and Ride schemes, one of which is on the outskirts of the City, BUT…… when there are events within the City centre, it closes either when an event starts, or the last bus leaves before the event has finished.
Politicians make noises about pollution etc etc, and making use of public transport, thus avoiding the use of a car. The twist to this tale is the Park and Ride scheme is operated by the Council who also own the transport for the scheme.
Disabled people who have blue badges cannot use them in the centre of the City, since most roads are occupied by bus lanes, which generate revenue for the council in fines.
I avoid high street shopping and parking costs and problems and try buy everything on line.
Councils beware!
How do councils know that a car is diesel or petrol, unless they have vehicle make and model recognition software installed in car parks. Which would cost the council to install, causing them to charge more to cover the cost of said installation. Proving that it is a stealth tax. So not only is the government ‘fining’ diesel drivers, the councils are as well. A double cash cow in that case.
Further, your article states, that in most cases, disabled drivers park free of charge. I know that in Merseyside, some if not all, councils even charge disabled drivers to use their car parks. They have no choice but to use their cars to get around. It makes me wonder why they have disabled parking areas in such car parks, other than just to give them access to their vehicles, thereby encouraging them to use those car parks and fleece them as well.
Wakey, Wakey Motorists.
If you park illegally, you must not be surprised if you get a ticket.
Your only valid argument is that the “profit” could be used to fill the potholes.
That’s joined-up thinking
So, surplus monies made from parking have to be reinvested in the local transport infrastructure, which includes the running of subsidised buses – it can’t just be added to the council’s coffers, to be used where they see fit. This means less monies have to come from the council’s coffers. It may look good but the same amount of money is spent but just from different accounts.
IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY!! EMPTY STORES MEANS LESS REVENUE IN THE FORM OF RATES WHICH FOR THE BIGGER STORES IS CRIPPLING. PARKING CHARGES SHOULD BE SCRAPPED. AS FOR SOME AUTHORITIES CHARGING A SURCHARGE FOR DIESEL DRIVER’S WELL IT BEGGARS BELIEF!! IF THAT’S NOT ABOUT PROFITEERING THEN I’LL EAT MY HAT!!
I’M STILL TO BE CONVINCED THAT DIESEL IS THE MOST TOXIC FUEL. UNFORTUNATELY. THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE DECREED IT OTHERWISE (WITHOUT, I ADD SHOWING SHOWING CONCLUSIVE PROOF TO THE CONTRARY). THE WHOLE DEBACLE MAKES ME SICK!!
Councils might make money from parking fines but do nothing about illegally parked vehicles .traffic wardens are only employed so they can fine those who overstay their time in restricted parking zones and car parks have you ever watched a parking warden just to see that’s all he does Takes note of the times that cars are parked then a short time later go round again to recheck making note of the time again
This Tory Government has for 8 + Years stripped Billions of pounds worth of Public Assets to pass to their Friends. This will continue unabated if the Public do nothing and bury their heads in the sand !!!! Historically Tory and Labour Government and All Local Councils are Determined to strip the Motoring Public and General Public of their Assets. The Greed Syndrome is what it as all about. Council Tax. Parking charges. Fines. Speed Camera. 20 MPH Zones !!!!! A Multi Billion Pound Business !!!!! All Designed for one Aim. Not Safety as they all Cry ?Out !!!! Revenue Collection is what it is all About. The Motoring Public should be given the choice of what this Revenue should be used for. Not Councils and Government who Consistently make Bad and Poorer choices. The Billions of pounds of Revenue should then be Ringfenced for these purposes. Not for Government and Councils Pet Projects or Lining of Friendly Pockets for a Kickback !!!! Time for a change of system and get rid of Corrupt Government and councils, Quangos Ect. Ect.
So much for councils being cash strapped and unable to afford to fix potholes eh!
It’s against my religion to pay for parking.
And mine. Refuse to do it, would rather walk a mile in the rain. Sadly I rarely do, when I first lived here I used the town centre all the time, now I never do, all the shops are closing, it’s absolutely ridiculous. I once had a stand up argument with a member from our council. He said if they were to make the carparks free parking then the people that worked in the town would fill them up. Err hello, where the hell do you think they park now. Idiot.
In my local town, parking is free for two hours in all council car parks in order to encourage footfall in the High Street and support local businesses. Waitrose also offer two hours’ free parking for customers (but as far as I know there are no checks on whether you visit the store).
Screw the council’s. I no longer visit London because of parking charges and the way things are going, there are other towns and cities that I won’t be visiting. Plenty of places I can still visit. Time to organize a mass protest?
I wholly agree with the overwhelming comments made here, but there is one aspect that needs to be published within each and every comment box, whether it be a complaint or praise. And that is the NAME(S) of those who are deemed responsible for those outcomes. Until we start doing this, the impact on ‘a council, a company, a rail line, the government etc etc’ will be NEGLIGIBLE as we are not seeking to hold anyone to account! Name and shame (or praise) those responsible…….don’t just tiptoe round the issue!
If someone else’s parking fines help pay for my roads and bin collections, I’m happy. Not very moral, perhaps. I was once caught out by an 8pm parking deadline, next to an area where the general rule was 6pm, so I would like some payback.
The wonder why high streets are deserted
I have just had to pay a bailiff £513 for a pcn that should never have been issued, Camden have a host of dirty tricks to enforce payment, they include not sending notices to owners and not allowing drivers to appeal to the arbitration services, they also go to court with out informing the driver thus not giving a chance to do a TE9 application, my so called contravention was I entered a bus lane about two or three car lengths early in the interest of safety, the signage for this stretch of bus lane was facing the wall and not the difrection that drivers were able to read it, I tried to explain to the bailiff Mr Ginger on the phone and he replied shouting at me he was coming through my door next morning at 6am, marston debt collectors were responsible for employing this bully thug bailiff, I had no choice but to pay the £513 because Mr Ginger scared the life out of me and as I am registered disabled and also suffer severe mental illness I couldn’t defend myself had he come through my door as he said he would. This is the true measure of local authorities and how they really care for the community, they will go to any length to extort money, even from the most vulnerable.
My city charges disabled people to park in city centres. I no longer go into the centre and stick to shopping on-line or at the supermarket. If they lifted the charges I would use the centre to shop. I can’t manage with a bus and am forced to drive into town, I am also unable to work and so cannot afford parking charges. Increasingly I am becoming isolated in my own home as a consequence of such policies.
Leave the car at home and use the bus.
What bus?
I use public transport mainly and generally leave my car at home. However, three months ago i was issued with a pcn for parking across my drive. I have lived at my current address for thirty three years and have often parked across my drive. I naturally challenged the pcn but my appeal was turned down. I had to provide the council with evidence of residence at my current address. Following my second appeal this time enclosing the evidence requested they dropped the pcn. Did I receive an apology for my inconvenience? Did I heck.
They target two primary schools in my area,slap tickets on cars of parents dropping kids off and drive around in circles for a whole hour with a camera van! Even park the council vans in the parents ONLY drop off bay stopping them from pulling into it to drop off….
I wish they would do that in the schools near me. Perhaps if this was done all over the uk more children would walk to school. I can get to work in ten minutes in the school holidays, it takes over an hour in term time. Ridiculous.
Time for all children to bus to school or walk. Apart from anything stupid parents endanger their children’s lives by their stupid practices outside schools. Blocking residents driveways, behaving badly and not letting traffic through, parking illegally etc etc. Yes in my view get more parking attendants outside schools. My daughters son walks and has been hit twice by cars, not badly hurt just shaken, a child in his school was badly injured and another one locally killed. But do parents behave differently – of course not, it is a me me me society, me me me.
And yes my children always walked to school, and yes I was a single parent, and yes I worked as a midwife and yes I still managed to get my children to walk to school and yes it was a mile over to that school.
Councils seem to be hell bent on keeping people out of town centre shopping areas & turning them into wastelands. I very rarely visit town centres these days, I won’t pay their over inflated parking charges & I refuse to become a council cash cow.I now shop either out of town or buy online. Unless councils start employing people with brains & change their policies, the high street will be completely dead within 10 years
Britain’s transport systems have been in disarray since “Traffic in Towns was published 25 November 1963.