The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Parking fines rake in £88,000 – from just one city street
Council pockets total of nearly £500,000 over past two years
MOTORISTS have racked up nearly £500,000 in parking fines in Aberdeen over the last two years.
Nearly 16,000 drivers have been issued with a fine since 2016, with the most offenders caught on Cornhill Road, near the hospital.
The road, often used as an alternative parking spot for visiting Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, generated £88,486 for the local authority between 2016-18 – 20% of the total £476,974 collected in that time.
The top 10 spots, compiled using exclusive new figures, also include Marischal Street and Stirling Street.
Money made from car parking fines goes into road management and transport projects, such as filling potholes and updating road markings.
Both police and council officers have made an effort to clamp down on illegal parking and enforcement, resulting in a slow reduction in the number of fines.
In 2016, there were 5,732 parking fines, compared to 4,231 between January and November of 2018.
Aberdeen City Council has made more than £500,000 in parking fines in the last two years, with motorists parking near the hospital most likely to be slapped with a fine.
Nearly 16,000 drivers have been issued with parking fines since 2016, with the worst offenders on Cornhill Road.
The road, often used as an alternative parking spot for visiting Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, generated £88,486 for the local authority between 2016-18 – 20% of the total £476,974 collected in that time.
Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, said he had received complaints from hospital users and residents on Cornhill Road.
He said the controlled parking zones on Cornhill Road have been causing “grief ” for drivers, and he has asked the council to survey and review the area.
“It’s all very well having fine-applicable streets where they need to be, but the council need to have a long, hard look at these zones as it can sometimes be hard to tell when you are in a controlled parking zone,” he said.
When a fine is issued the value is typically £60, but a discounted amount of £30 will be accepted if full payment is received within 14 days of issue.
Money from car parking fines goes into road management and transport projects, such as filling potholes and updating road markings.
According to the figures, obtained using freedom of information legislation, Marischal Street was the second-worst spot to get caught.
Stirling Street, Little Belmont Street, Bon Accord Square, Schoolhill and Golden Square were in the top 10 most common areas fines were issued in.
Enforcement action has been taken against 15,928 drivers since 2016.
A council spokesman said: “The surplus generated from parking fines is, like other additional revenue streams over and above central funding, allocated across the various departments and projects across the council.”
Police and council officers have made an effort to clamp down on illegal parking. Enforcement, patrols and education have led to a slow reduction in the number of fines.
In 2016 there were 5,732 parking fines, compared to 4,231 between January and November last year.
Officers and community wardens from Aberdeen City Council carried out patrols over the week leading up to Christmas, with 16 fines handed out.
Focusing on the Palmerston Road area of Aberdeen, the patrols also handed out a fixed-penalty notice and 34 warnings for parking on zig-zag markings.
“Detection and prevention of road traffic offences is a priority for local community policing teams across Aberdeen.
“High-visibility targeted operations like this, working in partnership with community wardens, send out a clear message to motorists that inappropriate driving behavior will not be tolerated,” the police said.
“The council need to have a long, hard look”