New regulations mean £120 parking tickets

NEW laws come into force governing parking tickets and fine levels next month.

Under the changes, introduced under the Traffic Management Act 2004, local authority Parking Attendants become Civil Enforcement Officers.

Parking penalties – or Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) – will fall into two tiers:

• ‘lesser offences’ (such as overstaying briefly at a parking meter); or
• ‘serious offences’ (such as parking on a double yellow line).

There will be a new fines structure. In London penalties will range from £40 to £120. Outside the capital the fines range from £40 to £70. There are discounts for speedy payments.

However, the new parking laws mean councils can issue a parking ticket by post for contraventions caught on CCTV, or if a motorist prevents a ticket being issued at the scene.

This could make it harder for motorists to gather necessary evidence to appeal against tickets they think have been issued unfairly.

“At the moment a penalty charge notice has to be given to the person believed to be the driver at the time of the offence,” commented Joanne Lezemore, senior lawyer, Which? Legal Service.