Show me the Money ...

We have never lost an Edinburgh case ... and the Edinburgh Traffic Regulation Orders are currently being 'regularised.'

What needs to be remembered here is that we are talking 'law enforcement' on the streets of Edinburgh and other towns and cities. How long before the Police have to issue fines to become 'self-financing.'

£15m of profit for parking wardens
By PAUL THORNTON
The Sun

THE country's most feared traffic wardens last year raked in a profit of almost £15million, it emerged yesterday.

Edinburgh's infamous parking attendants delivered £40,000 a day for the city council through fines and charges.
But last night motoring groups blasted the profits as "obscene" - and called for local authorities to ditch plans to hike the cost of fixed penalties.
Councils announced in March they needed to raise the standard fine to £100 to cover rising costs.

But Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers, said: "They claimed it had become impossible to self-finance parking operations - but this is clearly nonsense.
"Councils must accept they shouldn't be making obscene profits at the expense of motorists."

Seven councils took over parking enforcement from the police in 1991.
Last year Edinburgh pulled in £20.1m through fines, pay-and-display tickets and permits.
Just £5.5m was paid to NPC, the private firm hired to run parking in the city.
Glasgow raised £5.5m, Aberdeen £1.3m and South Lanarkshire £465,000.





Read more: Raking it in ... traffic wardens
Warden assault is an ‘outrage’
CAR rental driver sacked for knocking a parking warden’s hat off is fined for the attack
Patients blast parking wardens
20,000 parking tickets a MONTH
Wardens' two fines a minute

£11,000 worth of Camden parking tickets are illegal

This latest blunder had to be forced out of Camden with Freedom of Information requests. Will they refund the money of motorists who have already paid?
Have you had a ticket which cites the 1991 Road Traffic Act which has been issued since March 31st 2008? If so let us know at www.parkingappeals.co.uk or e-mail us at enquiries@parkingappeals.co.uk

London Borough of Bromley Parking Blunder

If you have recently had a ticket in Bromley contact us at enquiries@parkingappeals.co.uk

Unfortunate Bromley Council have become the first council victim of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Parking Appeals.co.uk member Daren Pool received a ticket in Bromley. He captured the evidence with a series of photographs and checked on the site to see whether the signs and lines were correct. They were not. However, when he sent us his ticket it was apparent that not only would he get the PCN cancelled but he would also expose a council blunder.

We called the council and then followed up ..."Further to our telephone conversation today please confirm by return that this Penalty Charge Notice, and unlawful demand for money, will be withdrawn forthwith and you will comply with Mr. Pool's very reasonable, without prejudice, request for recompense to cover his distress, frustration and time in having to deal with such an unlawful demand arising from a very clear and unacceptable maladministration causing him injustice.

Please also confirm in writing the reasons stated by you in the telephone call;
" that this was an isolated incident by a single Parking Attendant who 'picked up the wrong PCNs' on that day."

You did not seem confident that this was 100% accurate and would but you did state that an apology would be offered and all monies refunded from all such tickets issued. I would be grateful for a full explanation in writing especially clarification whether this was one CEO on one day or a number of CEOs on a number of days. "

A Refereshing Change

They were not accurate, but give Bromley their due, they investigated immediately and found out that it wasn't an 'isolated incident' but 59 'incidents.'

It makes a refreshing change ... they cancelled the £4720 worth of tickets immediately and issued an apology.

Let us hope that all the other councils who are going to be caught out with PCN or other paperwork errors will do the decent thing. After all, its a lot less painless and the potential political and cost implications are nowhere near as bad.

Bromley's explanation and apology can be seen below ...