Councils call for rise in parking penalty charges to protect responsible motorists from selfish parking
- 91% of local authorities say that current penalty charges outside of London are not high enough to prevent illegal parking.
- 69% believe that penalty charges outside of London should mirror those inside London.
- 95% agreed that penalty charges in England and Wales should be like those currently being proposed in Scotland.
New research by the British Parking Association (BPA) reveals an overwhelming consensus amongst UK local authorities on the need to review and raise parking penalty charges to make them a more effective deterrent. Councils also want greater consistency between the level of parking penalty charges in London and those outside the capital, including other major cities and urban areas.
Effective parking management is essential to support sustainable growth and improve road safety for everyone.
91% of local authorities agree that the current penalty charge level outside of London is not high enough, to deter or discourage irresponsible rule-breaking, especially where parking is not allowed.
Selfish and irresponsible parking in busy car parks increases congestion and makes it increasingly difficult for responsible motorists to find somewhere to park and get on with their daily lives.
95% of respondents agree that the Scottish Government is right to review and increase its penalty charge level, and that a similar increase is required in England and Wales. This would encourage better compliance with parking rules and support transport plans including active travel.
Separate data from a leading car park operator, found that a proposed reduction of the parking charge level in the private sector would lead to an insufficient deterrent. This is expected to result in an increase in rule breaches and more parking charge notices being issued in privately operated car parks.
Andrew Pester, BPA Chief Executive, said: “The findings of this survey reinforces the urgent need to review and raise penalty charges everywhere to encourage compliance with the parking rules. We will continue to work closely with government as well as calling for effective deterrents to inconsiderate parking both on public roads and in private car parks.”
Notes to editors
For further information contact the BPA press office: media@britishparking.co.uk or visit our Media Hub
Notes to Editors
- The British Parking Association (BPA) is the professional body representing the UK parking and traffic management profession. We have more than 750 corporate members, which includes representation from local government, commercial providers, and operators of parking systems, as well as consultants and academics. In addition, we represent over c650 individuals working within the parking profession and have a separate membership structure exists to support individuals in their career and professional development.
- We are a not for profit organisation working with our partners to support growth for their communities, improve compliance by those managing and using parking facilities and encourage fairness to achieve our vision of excellence in parking for all. Any surplus income arising from our work is reinvested back into activities to support our members or put into a reserve fund to ensure we can continue to raise standards and encourage professionalism.
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