Photograph by Kevan Davis
The government could cut parking fines in England amid claims that some local council are using the fines as a “cash cow” to raise funds.
A recent report from the Commons Transport Committee said that it was difficult to see why fines, which range from £40 to £130 across the country, should be more than the fines for more serious driving offences such as speeding, which has a minimum fine of £100 and three points on a driver’s license.
Whilst it is illegal for local authorities to set parking fines in order to raise revenue as “cash cows”, they made a surplus of £411 million from on and off street parking in 2011-12 according to the Local Government Association
The government are also considering forcing local authorities to allow a five-minute “grace period” before issuing tickets, and stopping the use of CCTV cameras to enforce on-street parking restrictions as MPs said this prevented “common sense” decisions on penalties which should be made on a case-by-case basis.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has already frozen the maximum fines councils can impose for parking offences until the 2015 general election.
