PARKING FINES OVERTURNED AS SIGNS ‘UNCLEAR’
TRIBUNAL RIPS UP ANOTHER EIGHT TICKETS DESPITE PREVIOUS WARNINGS
CITY chiefs should fix ‘inadequate’ parking signs or face a court challenge over fines, campaigners have said, as an independent adjudicator again criticised Coventry council’s parking scheme.
Adjudicator of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) said it is “disappointed” to still be overturning council fines within the city centre Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ).
That is despite it ruling in May 2018 that the council’s parking signage was “inadequate” and not understood by motorists, branding the council “delusional reminiscent of King Canute” over its stance.
Since May’s ruling, eight council fines have been overturned by the TPT on appeal on roads already highlighted for criticism by chief tribunal adjudicator Caroline Sheppard.
The scheme was implemented in 2012 and following the damning ruling Coventry city council insisted it was enforceable.
But it is still causing problems for motorists 18 months on, with the authority falling silent on the latest criticism when asked for comment by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. It is feared many more than the eight who have had their fines overturned could be falling foul of the parking scheme.
Shadow cabinet member for city services Cllr Tim Mayer says many could be paying fines wrongly issued and not appealing them.
A Freedom of Information request by the LDRS found total penalty charge notices (PCNs) on the roads increased in the year after May’s ruling – up from 3,305 in 2017/18 to 3,497 in the last financial year – although this is for a variety of parking and bus lane offences.
Cllr Mayer has been fighting for improvements since 2016, but further questioning this week has prompted the council into installing five new signs on one of the problem roads, Gosford Street, he has been told.
But he said: “I personally raised this with Cllr Pat Hetherton [cabinet member for city services] on July 30 this year and was assured signage would be erected.
“It was therefore very disappointing that I have had to chase again at the end of October before signage has started to go up.
“This is just continued times of delusion and confusion where Coventry City Council again seems to be ignoring the experts at the Traffic
Penalty Tribunal. Eight people have had their fine overturned by the adjudicators since last year but it could be thousands more who should have as most people do not appeal it.”
From June 8, 2018 to October 2, 2019, six parking fines have been appealed to the TPT at Cope Street, one at Warwick Lane, and one at Whitefriars Street.
In recent appeals overturned, adjudicator Sarah Tozzi said she was “not satisfied that adequate information was provided” about restrictions.
Repeater signs alerting motorists to the RPZ are “unclear”, while entry signs are also “unclear”, she has said.
Removal of double yellow road markings also “cause confusion” and “gives the impression that the restriction has been removed”, she said.
Ms Tozzi also said the size of Coventry’s RPZ was too large and ignored guidance stating it is intended for “small, defined areas of single streets”.
A TPT spokesman added: “The adjudicators are disappointed to see that PCNs are still being issued for alleged contraventions at the locations within the Coventry RPZ covered by Chief Adjudicator Caroline Sheppard OBE’s decision of 8 May 2018.”
With problems still being highlighted with the city’s parking signage, campaigner Richard Heneghan has challenged the authority to appeal to the High Court if it disagrees with rulings made.
He said: “People do not bother appealing. The council turn everybody down at first instance and that reduces the amount of people that go to the TPT exponentially.
“To drag people through an onerous process and the council to not fix anything - it is really unfair.
“The council has had so many opportunities to fix this and it does still not.
“If the council does not agree with what the TPT rules, as with other councils have done, they have the remit to challenge the ruling.
“What Coventry should have done is allow this to go to the High Court to make sure they are getting it right for the people of Coventry.”
Cllr Pat Hetherton, the cabinet member responsible for city services, said that while it was an issue that deserved a response, she would be unable to comment as it falls under the cabinet role of deputy council leader Cllr Abdul Khan under his portfolio of policing and enforcement.
Cllr Khan was in China, while the city council did not respond to repeated requests for a comment.