Motorbike Insurance News from Be Wiser

Motorists Face Higher Parking Fines

Motorists have faced a significant increase in the cost of parking fines under new laws giving councils the power to issue tickets of up to £120.

A record of 3.58million drivers were hit with parking fines that funnelled £214million into council coffers in a single year.

Higher fines will be issued to motorists who commit more serious offences, such as parking on a double yellow line on important routes.

However there will be lower charges for those who overstay a parking meter or pay-and-display ticket, on average around £70.

The AA has comments that “the new parking rules will cause chaos for drivers all over the UK and will see the number of fines soar”.

In some areas, the penalty for the most serious breaches will rise by 20% and the body which adjudicates on fines says it is expecting more appeals.

The AA continued saying “nuisance parking should be tackled and the original intention of the guidance was to give drivers half a chance from committing an offence”.

These proposals however introduce a massive grey area which will lead to countless disputes where motorists will say they were unaware they were doing anything wrong.

Motoring groups have condemned the laws as a "money-spinning" exercise that will further penalise hard-pressed drivers.

These groups also worry that those who are caught by the changes will have no knowledge that they are even parking illegally at all.

The purpose is to make parking enforcement fairer, more transparent, consistent and easier to challenge. The punishment will better fit the crime.

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