Now parking f ines could soar to £120
... So you’ll pay more than a yob who VANDALISES ticket machine!
DRIVERS face being hit with higher fines than vandals under plans labelled ‘preposterous’ by motoring groups.
The cost of parking tickets in Scotland could be hiked to as much as £120 under plans being considered by Transport Scotland.
However, in its response to a consultation on the plans, the AA said such a fee would be higher than some workers make in an entire day and is harsher than fines for other offences.
At present, a parking fine of £60 is incurred but this is reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. In comparison, someone fined in Scotland for lesser vandalism and being drunk and disorderly receives a fine of £50 – with 28 days to pay it.
In one proposal, the fees would be increased to £80 for a lower charge and £100 for a higher charge, with another option suggesting to increase them to £100 and £120.
Drivers would still receive a 50 per cent discount if the charge was paid within two weeks.
The higher fines would be applied to drivers who improperly park in a disabled bay or a space marked for electric vehicles, with the consultation also asking whether these charges should be imposed on those who double park or park on the pavement.
The consultation on increasing the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), which is imposed on drivers who park illegally, ended on Monday.
In response to the consultation, AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said: ‘Drivers will consider raising the full fine to £120 preposterous and inspired by the “easy money” motive. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service sets a fine of £50 for lower-level crimes – to be paid within 28 days.
‘We understand this level of fine is applied to offences such as vandalism and being drunk and disorderly, offences that society likely considers are much worse than [parking offences].
‘Yet the proposals for these “lower level” parking fines are £80 under Proposal A and £100 under Proposal B, between day 15 and day 28 of the fine being issued. Since when has overstaying your paid-for parking time by a few minutes been worse than smashing up someone’s property or keeping the neighbourhood awake all night?’
The AA also points out that these fines will be higher than some workers earn. The top level of minimum wage is £8.91 an hour, providing an income of £71.28 for an eight-hour day.
It added that Transport Scotland admits councils have already ramped parking fines up to the maximum.
Mr Bosdet said: ‘How can they justify charging considerably more than a day’s wages... for a parking offence? The AA considers these current levels to be adequate. Many people in Scotland will consider the timings of the fines increase and the pavement parking ban to be more than coincidental.
‘The enforcement of a parking pavement ban with fines hiked to £120 will fill with dread the residents of streets suffering overcrowded parking.’
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: ‘The consultation closed on October 4 and officials are still analysing responses. We welcome comments from the AA and will take them into consideration. Parking charges have not been reviewed since 2011 and prices have not changed since 2001.’
‘How can they justify this?’