Avoid Parking Tickets

Wednesday, 2. December 2009

Every year traffic wardens, now known as civil enforcement officers, issue close to £1 billion of parking tickets. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) claim that additional administration charges add a further £100 million. However, Neil Herron, founder of parkingticketsappeals.co.uk, says that before local authorities issue parking tickets they should get their own house in order. But far too many drivers and businesses simply pay the fines without challenge. The local authorities are responsible for massive failings. They issue non compliant paperwork, Traffic Orders and signage making the tickets unenforceable. Herron has featured in documentaries exposing councils’ unlawful practices, resulting in refunds and cancellations of millions of pounds of fines. In a recent high profile case 4 London boroughs lost on appeal and tickets issued were ruled unlawful. The refunds added up to more than £19 millions. Another case, currently under Judicial Review, could rule that all tickets issued on a single yellow line in a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) could be declared unlawful which could result in millions of pounds of returned fines. So what does Herron suggest you look out for:

Are all parking signs, yellow lines and other notices visible and clear? If they are not, take photographs as evidence.
If you receive a ticket on a single yellow line in a controlled parking zone (CPZ), check whether there is a CPZ sign on both sides of the road as you drive into it, if not appeal.
If the area is not a CPZ, there should be a sign on every lamppost or similar post along a stretch of single yellow line indicating where the line is in force.
Minimum width for loading only bay is 2.7m and it must have the ‘loading only’ legend on the highway and be accompanied by an upright plate in the bay.
Watch out for kerb blips on the pavement adjacent to double yellow lines, which mean no loading at any time. They must be accompanied by an upright plate.

By Graham Hill