Car Parking and Fines

[davieG]

Good business for councils or robbing bastards or fines are deserved

 

 

An RAC survey has found Leicestershire council’s made nearly £8 million through parking charges and fines from 2009 to 2012. - Full report http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicestershire-councils-make-8-million-profits/story-19600088-detail/story.html

 

 

Parking charges are providing huge cash surpluses for some English councils, according to the RAC Foundation.

The 359 councils across England had a total current account surplus of £565m from on and off-street parking schemes in 2011-12, according to the figures.

Full Report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23518194

[Zingari]

“The income we get from car parks tends to remain relatively constant, but the income from on-street fines has fallen as fewer drivers have been incurring fines.

 

 

This probably means the parking fees will have to go up !

[RobHawk]

Haven't read the article but if we are taking parking fines (i.e. people parking where they shouldn't) the fine is deserved in my eyes!

 

This idea of being allowed 15 mins on double yellows is ludicrous! Double Yellows should be used because it is dangerous to park their - therefore parking should not be allowed there in any circumstances. If its not dangerous to park there it shouldn't be a double yellow line and that should be looked into instead! The whole concept just seems suck a backward way of looking at the problem!

[pSinatra]

I would like to think that the money raised from parking fines is used towards reducing parking problems, more cycle paths & improving public transport......but I very much doubt that is the case & it is nothing more than profiteering.

 

My parents live in Narborough, about a 5 minute walk from the train station.  There's a car park at the station which was free for a time but then parking charges were introduced (& it's not cheap if used on a daily basis).  Train users started parking here there & everywhere rather than use the designated car park.  So the council painted double yellow lines where people were parking.  The car users simply moved to where there weren't double yellow lines........residential areas.  All the residential streets around Narborough & Littlethorpe are now car parks for the train users.  They park on corners, across peoples drives & half on the pavements.  The train station car park is half full.  I know a lady with mutiple sclerosis who could not get past cars parked on the pavements on her scooter.  It was so bad that she eventually had to move home.

 

I know of a few instances where they have painted double yellow lines to solve parking issues.  It doesn't solve anything.  It simply moves the problem & makes it an issue for someone else.

 

The money should be used to help reduce the number of users on the road - not exploiting an impossible situation.

[Captain...]

I would like to think that the money raised from parking fines is used towards reducing parking problems, more cycle paths & improving public transport......but I very much doubt that is the case & it is nothing more than profiteering.

 

My parents live in Narborough, about a 5 minute walk from the train station.  There's a car park at the station which was free for a time but then parking charges were introduced (& it's not cheap if used on a daily basis).  Train users started parking here there & everywhere rather than use the designated car park.  So the council painted double yellow lines where people were parking.  The car users simply moved to where there weren't double yellow lines........residential areas.  All the residential streets around Narborough & Littlethorpe are now car parks for the train users.  They park on corners, across peoples drives & half on the pavements.  The train station car park is half full.  I know a lady with mutiple sclerosis who could not get past cars parked on the pavements on her scooter.  It was so bad that she eventually had to move home.

 

I know of a few instances where they have painted double yellow lines to solve parking issues.  It doesn't solve anything.  It simply moves the problem & makes it an issue for someone else.

 

The money should be used to help reduce the number of users on the road - not exploiting an impossible situation.

 

Well the money goes back to the council, I hope, so it should pay for roads and schools and everything else, private car parking and such like is different, but the article is about the council making money.

 

As for yellow lines just moving the problem, I completely agree, and I find what they have done to the train station to be ridiculous, taking away parking and a safe drop zone and replacing it with a £6 million patio. Nonsense.

 

The alternatives aren't much better, the park and ride is not in a convenient location and the buses are ridiculously expensive.

[Jon the Hat]

They should be required to spend this on providing more and cheaper parking.  Parking charges are killing town centres.

[pSinatra]

Well the money goes back to the council, I hope, so it should pay for roads and schools and everything else, private car parking and such like is different, but the article is about the council making money.

 

As for yellow lines just moving the problem, I completely agree, and I find what they have done to the train station to be ridiculous, taking away parking and a safe drop zone and replacing it with a £6 million patio. Nonsense.

 

The alternatives aren't much better, the park and ride is not in a convenient location and the buses are ridiculously expensive.

 

The train station car park I refer to is owned & managed by the local council.

 

I believe car parking fines to be a bit of a 'bonus' to councils & not a means of revenue.  Any money they obtain from parking fines should be ploughed back into resolving the issue of parking.  But I don't see this happening.  It seems more likely that they will paint more yellow lines & employ further traffic wardens.

 

The report doesn't take into account the money raised from legitimate parking through Pay & Display & alike.  They want to increase trade in the city centre, but why pay £3 or £4 for parking when you can go Fosse Park & park for free?  I don't see any reason for councils to investigate possible solutions when they are raking in millions of pounds..  More cars = more money, whether cars are parked legally or not.

[Jon the Hat]

The train station car park I refer to is owned & managed by the local council.

 

I believe car parking fines to be a bit of a 'bonus' to councils & not a means of revenue.  Any money they obtain from parking fines should be ploughed back into resolving the issue of parking.  But I don't see this happening.  It seems more likely that they will paint more yellow lines & employ further traffic wardens.

 

The report doesn't take into account the money raised from legitimate parking through Pay & Display & alike.  They want to increase trade in the city centre, but why pay £3 or £4 for parking when you can go Fosse Park & park for free?  I don't see any reason for councils to investigate possible solutions when they are raking in millions of pounds..  More cars = more money, whether cars are parked legally or not.

 

I thought it included Pay & Display and so one.  Councils invest in parking facilities to raise these.

[pSinatra]

I thought it included Pay & Display and so one.  Councils invest in parking facilities to raise these.

 

Yes it does.  Sorry!!

 

As you say.  Car parking charges are killing town centres.