Watch out there’s a traffic warden about!
Massive fines
Each year over eight million penalty charge notices (PCNs), parking tickets to you and me, are issued, raking in tens of millions of pounds. According to a recent press report, a single street in Ipswich produced fines of well over £50,000 in just one year. These scary figures look set to become more frightening as local councils scratch around for ways to generate more income. Delivery vehicles are seen as an easy target but changes to local parking regulations could catch out many more drivers, including those with company cars.
Urban spread
New tougher laws on parking were included in the Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA),but thesewere originally confined to London. The TMA authorised the city’s councils to manage the issue of PCNs rather than the process being overseen by the police. Since January 1 2010 this power has been given to local councils up and down the country, although they must get approval from central government first. It’s probably only a matter of time before all councils adopt the new regime. And when this happens it’s not just the role of enforcement that changes, there are extra traps for drivers.
Curbing bad behaviour
A PCN can be issued where a driver blocks, even partially, a lowered curb. For example, where a pedestrian crossing or cycle lane is obstructed. However, they won’t be automatically issued where the lowered curb is for a private drive or parking bay. Having said that, councils vary in their approach and if whoever the drive belongs to makes a request, the council will happily slap a ticket on any offending vehicle. But another rule means drivers need to be even more watchful.
A double (parking) whammy
We all know we run the risk of a ticket if we double park. But to our surprise the TMA defines double parking in a very strict way. All that’s required to fall foul of this rule is that you leave a distance of 50cm or more from the edge of the pavement and your vehicle. An eagle-eyed parking officer armed with a tape measure is within their rights to stick a PCN on the windscreen of a company van when, say, your delivery driver pulls up in haste for a drop-off and leaves the vehicle just 50cm from the curb.
Tell your employees
One former parking boss told us that with councils under pressure to raise income it’s probable they’ll ask their parking officers to take a tougher line. So now is a good time to tell staff who drive company vehicles about the new restrictions and to take care when parking. But you can go one step further.
Tip. You can avoid your company being caught for the costs of parking fines incurred by your employees. We’ve previously explained when and how you can do this (yr.12, iss.4, pg.2, see The next step), but essentially this involves making them liable to pay, not you.
For a previous article on parking fines, visit http://companydirector.indicator.co.uk (CD 13.05.03).
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