Councils raking in millions from parking
● Authorities are accused of ‘playing the percentages’ by motoring groups
Councils have been accused of “playing the percentages” to raise cash by fining motorists as new figures reveal drivers are being hit with soaring levels of parking penalties.
Drivers have been hit by risi ng l e ve l s o f f i ne s i n r e c e nt years as many councils have t a k e n c o n t r o l o f p a r k i n g enforcement across Scotland, with a 15 per cent rise in the amount levied on motorists for parking infractions.
Figures revealed yesterday under Freedom of Information laws showed Edinburgh’s parking wardens alone raised more than £5.9 million last year, with Glasgow the second highest in terms of fine income at just over £5m.
I n a l l , S c o t l a n d ’s c o u n - c i l s t o o k i n £ 5 2 , 4 4 2 , 9 79. 70 i n p a r k i n g f i n e s o v e r t h e past three years, rising from £16,387,9 66.48 in 2016/17 to £18,723,336.80 in 2018/19.
Over the same period councils have seen a £7m-a-year r i s e i n r e v e n u e g e n e r a t e d from selling parking tickets, car park season tickets and street parking permits.
E d i n b u rg h’s l o c a l a u t h o r - ity enjoyed a 20 per cent rise in fees paid for parking from £19,831,914.49 three years ago to £ 23 ,6 6 0, 3 3 5 .0 5 l a s t ye a r. That would have been enough to cover the city council’s £16m new and replacement schools budget and £4.5m Meadowbank Stadium replacement budgets for last year.
Dundee also saw a near 20 per cent rise in parking meter revenue over the same threeyear period, while Glasgow’s income rose by around £2m.
L u k e B o s d e t , s p o k e s m a n for the AA, said: “Councils are issuing tickets for any thing and ever ything and the position is that if you don’t like it you can appeal.
“In total 28 per cent of Scottish drivers we sur veye d in Au g u s t 2 0 17 s a i d t h e y p a i d t h e i r t i c k e t s q u i c k l y e v e n though they didn’t think they had done anything wrong.
“A fur ther 11 p er cent said they paid quickly at the discounted rate because the full p enalt y if they left it would c a u s e t h e m f i n a n c i a l d i f f i - cult y. But one in seven tickets issued were successfully appealed – they were wrongly issued. These wrong tickets are issued in the hope a large p ercentage of p eople won’t appeal. Councils are playing the percentages.”
Rebecca Ashton, IAM RoadSmar t head of driver behaviour, said: “Everyone is happy to pay for parking, but it needs to b e kept realistic in price. Free parking for environmentally friendly vehicles could b e n e f i t mot o r i s t s a n d h e l p councils with air quality targets. It would be a shame if the motorist was unfairly penalised and seen as an easy fix to any council’s funding gap.”
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “The council has a policy of dissuading commuter parking on road to provide short term parking for business and leisure as well as creating space for those with mobilit y issues. The council sought to reinforce this policy and last year increased parking charges on road in pursuance of the policy objectives.” £228,061.00 £109,620.00
£0.00 £60,090.00 £64,640.31 £1,143,780.00 £597,870.00 £242,102.00
£0.00 £585,558.00 £2,228,899.63 £1,299,330.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00
£52,685,081.70 The majority of motorists are not aware that driving too close to cyclists can result in three penalty points, a survey suggests.
The poll of more than 1,000 Scots found 73 per cent did not know the potential consequence of failing to leave at least a car’s width when passing.
Cycling Scotland, which commissioned the research, is raising awareness of the risks to cyclists in a new campaign.
Police Scotland has meanwhile launched Operation Close Pass to make roads safer for cyclists. The initiative sees plain-clothes officers cycling with a cameras on their bike. When they are passed too closely by a car, the cyclist radios details to colleagues further up the road, who pull over the motorist.