West country .... nice little earner?

Tickets issued to 'help traffic flow' ... with restrictions operating 6.30am until 10.30pm one has to ask the question 'is traffic flow so busy at night to command enforcement until 10.30pm?'

City motorists pay out £4m for illegal parking
Monday, April 25, 2011, 09:00

DRIVERS in Bristol were issued with more than £4 million of parking fines last year – and the council is recruiting even more wardens to stop people flouting the rules.
The number of parking tickets slapped on windscreens and bus-lane fines posted through letter boxes by Bristol City Council has nearly doubled in the past two years to more than 70,000 as motorists continue to park in places they should not.

More than 60 wardens are now employed by the council but officials say they are simply trying to get people to comply with the parking regulations – not out to make money.

The parking services department has increased its staff from 32 in 2008 to 63 at the start of this year – and has just taken on another eight civil enforcement officers.

On average 27 officers are on duty in Bristol each day between 6:30am and 10:30pm.
Parking manager for the council, David Bunting, told the Evening Post the dramatic increase in tickets was due to a significant increase in the number of wardens and a much more targeted approach by the council.

"We improved our allocation of staff to hotspot areas and looked at it scientifically and I think people continue to park illegally," he said.
"It could be there are more cars parking where they shouldn't but I suspect it is because we have been more targeted with our resources.
"We are here to make the traffic flow and we just want compliance."

Parking tickets issued by Bristol City Council are £50 for less serious cases, such as over-staying in a pay-and-display bay and £70 for more serious contraventions – for example, parking on a double yellow line. Payments received within 14 days of issue are discounted by 50 per cent.
In September last year the Evening Post reported that £900,000 of parking fines were outstanding.

In the latest figures obtained by the Post the council revealed they had recouped just £2.2 million of the £4 million total issued last year.
But they said this figure is growing daily and two thirds of the fines issued had been paid within 14 days at a discounted rate.
The cost of enforcing Bristol's double yellows, bus lanes and resident permit schemes was £2.1 million last year and the council revealed it has started making a profit after suffering significant losses.

The increased level of fines has enabled them to turn a £691,250 loss for the year ended March 31, 2009 into a profit of £259,000 for 2010.
"All parking surpluses go into a transport account used to fund park and ride and highway maintenance," said Mr Bunting.
The net sum of fines recouped grew from £1.1 million in 2008 to £1.6 million in 2009 and £2.2 million to date from last year.

These sums came from 61,871 parking tickets and 15,010 tickets for driving in a bus lane for the 12 months up to November 30, 2010.

Hugh Bladon, a founding member of the Association of British Drivers, said he feared the significant increase was probably from "overzealous" wardens, although the council have confirmed wardens are not subject to targets or quotas.
"The big problem we've got is that motorists are being penalised left right and centre," said Mr Bladon, from Weston-super-Mare. "If you want a city centre to thrive you need to make provision for parking." He praised Cabot Circus but questioned provisions in the Clifton and Whiteladies, notorious parking hotspots.
"People who cause obstructions deserve to suffer whatever punishment is meted out," he added. "But the trouble is if you treat people like children they act like them."

More than £138,000 of fines were written off last year due to successful appeals and out of date DVLA records.

Of 12,630 tickets appealed some 4,475 were successful.
The council said each appeal is considered on its merits and fully investigated but revealed 2,667 tickets were cancelled after a "general reason" was supplied, 556 were cancelled after receipt of "acceptable evidence" such as pay and display tickets, 334 because of "extenuating circumstances" and 236 because of administrative errors.

This proves that for some parking fines are no deterrent

The vulgar wealth of Premiership footballers leads to this sort of anti-social behaviour. If parking matters were still dealt with by the courts then this 'arrogance' could be dealt with in a different way.

The football industry needs to clean itself up otherwise the new generation will see this sort of behaviour as something to aspire to.

Millionaire Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli pays out £100,000 in parking fines after his car is impounded 27 times
By Marcus Barnes
Daily Mail
25th April 2011

With £100,000-a-week to play around with you might forgive Mario Balotelli for being a ever so slightly frivolous with his hard earned cash.

But the Manchester City striker appears to have let the mountains of money go to his head, adopting a total disregard for the north west city's parking laws.

While us mere mortals pay close attention to where we can park and how long for, the millionaire Italian footballer constantly flouts parking rules notching up almost £10,000 in parking fines.

Car calamity: Mario Balotelli has picked up almost £100,000 in parking fines
Another day, another ticket: Balotelli's Maserati gets a ticket outside San Carlo's restaurant in Manchester city centre
On top of that his obligatory supercar, a white Maserati, has been impounded some 27 times.

Frustrated liaison officers at Manchester City have had to go and pick up his car for him every time it gets towed away.

A source at the club told The Sun newspaper: 'Mario will drive from his luxury apartment to a restaurant a few streets away and leave the car on double yellows.

'The other week the Maserati misfired so he just abandoned it. Staff have had to bail it out 27 times.

'The valet the club uses empties the glovebox of tickets every time he cleans it. Mario doesn't seem to care. It's a drop in the ocean to him.'
But it seems that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as his arrogance in concerned.

Million pound signing: Balotelli was snapped up by Manchester City for a cool £22.5million
The footballer was also accused of cheating on model and former Big Brother contestant Sophie Reade (pictured) with her best friend, another glamour girl named Faye Evette
According to the report, Balotelli was allegedly once pulled over by police with £25,000 in cash on his passenger seat.

When asked why he had the money, he simply said 'Because I can'.

Balotelli has also had to pay out £300,000 in club fines, most recently for throwing darts at a youth team player.

And on the field he has had ten yellow cards and two reds in only 24 appearances.
The Italian's private life is just as colourful - and, again, it's the player's sheer audacity that makes his love life so interesting.

Last August he dumped stunning model girlfriend Melissa Castagnoli by text message.
But she got her revenge by reading the messages out live on air.

The two texts Castagnoli received from Balotelli read: 'I’m back (Balotelli had caught a private jet from Manchester to Italy) to make you change, but never mind, you’re sunk. Everything is against you tomorrow, bye!'
'You‘re a stupid girl, the real problem is not a child, but stupid! Say hello to the (presenter), which is good for you! Um, OK.'

He was also accused of cheating on model and former Big Brother contestant Sophie Reade with her best friend, another glamour girl named Faye Evette.

And Reade, 25, let rip at both her friend and Balotelli in a series of posts on her Twitter page.

One of which read: 'Would like to let everyone know @FayeEvette is a s*** and slept with the guy I was seeing! What a friend and welcome 2011. Mario Balotelli is a ****er!!'

Camden Parking Refunds ......

BBC News reports 'Many Parking Fines 'unlawful' '

Builder Richard Chaumeton states:
"Camden Council are behaving like the Sherriff of Nottingham"

Looks like the motorsists now have their own Robin Hood.

The question is now 'Will Camden Council do the decent thing and refund everyone who has been fined unlawfully?'

Beware of trying to park on Private Land ...

Clamping on Private land has been outlawed in Scotland ... the courts see it as theft and extortion but it still continues in England BUT the writing is on the wall.

Issuing 'parking tickets' on private land is also about to meet the Grim Reaper as the public wise up to the fact that it is nothing more than a scam that has no legal basis and any fines levied are unenforceable and simply rely on the motorist being bullied or intimidated into paying up.

So, what is left for the owners of private car parks to discourage cars from parking ...

If you fall victim to the above you need a recovery truck.

If you get a ticket however, we can help, simply click on the link below.

Petition to Scrap Hospital Parking Charges in English Hospitals

PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
2nd April 2008

Parking Campaign calls for fairness across the country by urging the Prime Minister to scrap hospital parking charges in hospitals across England in line with the move by the Welsh Assembly..

Neil Herron of Parking Appeals.co.uk who are sponsoring the petition states:

"Charging people to park at hospitals is an indirect tax on healthcare. These days, the vast majority of people who attend hospital clinics do so by car, often several times during treatment and the costs mount up. It's iniquitous that they have to pay to access hospital care. Relatives and frontline health care workers are similarly penalised.
Yet again it is the English who get raw deal and we demand that the Prime Minister follows the line of the Welsh Assembly and scraps hospital parking charges at English hospitals."

ENDS:

Contact

Neil Herron
National Spokesman
Tel. 0191 565 7143
Mob. 07776202045
http://www.parkingappeals.co.uk/

The Petition

- To Scrap Hospital Parking Charges In England

Car parking at most Welsh hospitals will be free from 1st April 2008.

The Welsh Assembly Government's Health Minister Edwina Hart has confirmed the move, the first of its kind in the UK, which will see charges scrapped or reduced.

NHS trusts which do not have contracts with private companies are to stop charging patients, visitors and staff from April 1 - the same date free prescriptions started in Wales last year.

Those with private car parking contracts are to be told to reduce costs until the contracts expire.
Parking Appeals.co.uk which assists people hit with parking fines states:
"Charging people to park at hospitals is an indirect tax on healthcare. "These days, the vast majority of people who attend hospital clinics do so by car, often several times during treatment and the costs mount up. It's iniquitous that they have to pay to access hospital care. Relatives and frontline health care workers are similarly penalised."

This petition is to the Prime Minister. We the undersigned wish the Government to follow the lead of the Welsh Assembly and scrap hospital parking charges in England for the benefit of patients, relatives and health workers.


TO SIGN THE PETITION CLICK HERE


Sponsored by:



... more than just a website. Please forward and make it happen.

£120 parking fines for motorists while vandals, shoplifters and drunks just need to say they'll be good.

When will you reach tipping point?

Parking fines increased to £120 but vandals, shoplifters and drunks just need to say that they'll be good and their fines are waived. If ever evidence was needed that the motorist was simply the most convenient victim of this highly lucrative stealth tax then this is it.

Enforcement is easy. Detection is simple ...one electronic request to the DVLA. Then punishment should you wish to resist ... could be you'll lose your car.

... and don't forget that the 'independent' adjudicators, NPAS (and PATAS) are financially dependent on the parking enforcement 'industry' too. In the case of NPAS they receive 60p from EVERY ticket issued (outside of London). Do you class that as independent?

Motorists face £120 parking fines
By Stephen Adams
Daily Telegraph
19/03/2008
Motorists are facing a significant increase in the cost of parking fines under new laws giving councils the power to issue tickets of up to £120.
Higher fines will be issued to motorists who park on a double yellow line on important routes.
The laws, which come into force at the end of the month, enable local authorities, for the first time, to set different levels of fines for different parking offences.
In London, motorists face fines of up to £120 while outside the capital the maximum penalty will be £70. More

Now read this

Vandals can avoid a spot fine by saying they'll be good
Evening Standard
30th May 2007
Shoplifters, drunks and vandals will escape paying on-the-spot fines if they promise to behave for a few months, it emerged last night.
Thousands of yobs will be let off with "deferred" fixed-penalty notices each year.
Where once they would have been hauled into court, criminals will have their £80 fines suspended if they sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract. More ...

If this does not make you realise that you have to stand up to be counted to prevent the escalation of this absurd dichotomy then there is no hope.

ParkingAppeals.co.uk is committed to ending the injustice and abuse motorists are facing in the name of what purports to be 'parking enforcement' which is now perceived by the majority as nothing more than a form of licensed highway robbery which makes Dick Turpin look like a pillar of virtue.

Traffic Management Act will lead to chaos and confusion

... and now this prediction in the letter below from a councillor and portfolio holder.

Dick Turpin is ready to ride again and there will be many aggrieved motorists the length and breadth of the land. Perhaps the councillor would like to correct the word 'offences' and replace it with 'contravention.'

New parking fines hit by confusion

Sir.-
I wouldn't want either the borough's motorists or our award-winning parking attendants to get the idea that our enforcement regime will be either "lax or non-existent" when the new ranges of parking fines come in on March 31 (Gazette, January 31).

I expect enforcement to continue across all existing offences and I especially welcome the increased fine for illegally parking in a disabled space.
There is scope for confusion in some new offences created by the legislation, because of the way the Government has rushed this through.

For example, the act makes it an offence to park across a "dropped kerb", meaning the entrance to someone's drive. My problem is that a car parked across a dropped kerb may be the householder's own car or one parked by a visitor with the owner's agreement.
I would be livid if I got a ticket on my own car parked across my own drive, and I expect most residents would feel the same.

I can imagine ways we might avoid this and still ticket a car parked without the owner's consent, but any approach must be easy for everyone to understand.

The Government itself is still unclear about how it expects this to be enforced.
We are developing a new enforcement policy in response to the legislation.

Meanwhile, it is very much still business as usual from March 31, but with the new, higher charge of £70 for more serious offences and £50 for less serious ones.

But there will be no attempt to enforce the "dropped kerb" offence unless, and until, we are confident we can do this in a sound and sensitive way.

-Horace Mitchell, Cabinet member for planning and transport, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

The number of parking tickets set to escalate as the war on the motorist set to reach firestorm proportions

Be prepared for a massive escalation in the number of fines issued right across the country. No controls, no checks or balances. Adjudication bodies funded by, and financially dependent on the very industry they have to adjudicate upon. The Department for Transport neutered as councils attempt to 'dumb-down' the strict and pedantic requirements of the signing legislation, assisted by the adjudicators who are adopting the man on the Clapham Omnibus stance of 'well, it looks like a loading bay / yellow line / parking space ...' forgetting or ignoring the fact that the legislators have created the specific signing requirements for a reason.

2008 is going to be the year that motorists reach 'tipping point' and say enough is enough. Get a voice ... and join http://www.parkingappeals.co.uk/

Councils to use cameras to catch drivers
By David Millward
Daily Telegraph Transport Editor
25/02/2008

Motorists face having to pay millions of pounds in fines after councils are given the power to use road cameras to punish minor traffic offences.

From the end of next month, town halls will be able to cash in on motorists drifting into bus lanes, ignoring no right-turn signs and getting trapped in box junctions. Even parking more than 19in from a kerb can be picked up by camera and trigger a fine of £60.

The new rules bring to an end the existing system where enforcement is left to the police, who are able to take into account the circumstances surrounding any offence. Transport for London and the local authorities in the capital have enjoyed this power for some time.

However, there have been complaints camera operators in control centres have issued tickets even when there is doubt the motorist's manoeuvre is illegal.

Motoring groups warned allowing councils to take over the enforcement of the traffic laws - and keep the proceeds - will lead to a surge in both the number of motorists being fined and the amount of cash being extracted from their wallets.

"My fear is that the bad councils will milk this," said Sheila Rainger, the acting director of the RAC Foundation. "There will be times when the need to raise money will take precedence over common sense."

The "decriminalisation" of parking - handing over enforcement to councils and allowing them to keep the cash - has already led to a surge in fines. Now there are fears allowing the same thing to happen for routine traffic matters will make life even worse for the motorist.
Several councils, including Manchester, Brighton and Hove, Nottingham and Sheffield, have already voiced an interest in taking on the new powers.

The change has been seen by critics as further evidence of what they regard as the "war on the motorist". It comes alongside a change in parking rules, revealed by The Daily Telegraph last week, which will enable councils in England and Wales to use remote cameras.

Barrie Segal, whose organisation, AppealNow, challenges thousands of parking and traffic offence tickets a year, warned motorists could find it hard to challenge any fines.
"You could get the ticket 28 days after the incident happened and if you travel the same road every day, it will be hard to remember what you are doing," he said.
"There are all sorts of reasons why people can stop in a box junction. Motorists can do so when turning right, but proving this could prove difficult. There could be other extenuating circumstances, such as making space to allow a police car or emergency vehicle to pass.
"I had one case where a London motorist was prosecuted for stopping in a yellow box, even though the photo shows that had he kept going he would have run two people over.
"If there is pressure to issue tickets because it's in a council's financial interests to do so, at the very least motorists won't be given the benefit of the doubt."

The changes have also alarmed Paul Watters, the AA head of roads policy. He said: "Some local authorities have shown varying degrees of ineptitude at dealing with parking enforcement so this doesn't bode well if they take on moving offences.
"Moving offences are very different to static ones. Mitigation may exist such as when a road closure or accident may necessitate an 'illegal' manoeuvre.
"There are many locations where traffic management arrangements are incredibly complicated or perhaps out of date. Sticking cameras up will be cheaper than 'fixing' a bad junction. What hope for unfamiliar drivers in an area using CCTV enforcement - they get home perhaps hundreds of miles away and a week later get a ticket?"
Mr Watters added: "How can they validate the legitimacy of the ticket - the CCTV image may show the offence but will it show that the sign was there and readable?"
"This type of enforcement could in some instances lead to bad driving, with drivers more worried about absolute adherence to road signs than the and people around them."

Which Report Published ...Appeal those Parking Fines

Which Report
Appeal those Parking Fines

Mean streets where 3 in 4 parking fines challenged are eventually overturned
The Times

Now Which have shown that you can be successful in appealing those parking fines and that councils frequently refuse appeals despite having no grounds to do so ... it is time you checked out the country's experts at http://www.parkingappeals.co.uk/

Parking Ticket company NCP Services cancels Christmas ...

...bonuses for staff.

Our little NCP Services story has finally made the nationals ...

Today's Daily Mail reports on the story we covered here

Parking bosses cancel Christmas bonus for wardens... for fear of offence

Parking wardens have had their Christmas bonus axed to avoid upsetting non-Christian colleagues.
Bosses at NCP Services usually give staff a £25 Argos voucher for each year of service.
But this year the firm has decided it is "inappropriate" because some employees do not celebrate Christmas.

Uproar: Parking warden unions are furious workers have had their Xmas bonus cancelled
Read more...

NCP operates a diverse range of services, including traffic wardens, for 31 councils across Britain.
Spokesman Tim Cowen said: "We employ people from more than 100 countries and feel it is perhaps no longer appropriate just to recognise Christmas celebrations."

He also said it could be seen as unacceptable for a transport firm to hold alcohol-fuelled parties.
Unions are furious at the move and are considering strike action.

Thought parking wasn't about targets ... look at the meltdown in Croydon

We are repeatedly told that Decriminalised Parking Enforcement is not about targets ... but enforcement contract talks are at a stalemate in Croydon ... because contractor it is understood that APCOA are 'demanding the council agree to a clause which would allow them to issue an extra 20,000 tickets each year.'

If that is the case are they expecting that there is to be a sudden collective mental collapse by motorists in Croydon 'forgetting how and where to park' or is there going to be a spate of line painting or is it simply going to be a step up in draconian enforcement to allow a private enforcement contractor a 'nice little earner?'

Read the full story in the Kingston Guardian here

Free Parking for Daily Mail staff ... and anyone else in Kensington

A little visit today into Kensington saw F1 NED parked up in Derry Street outside the offices of the Daily Mail. Waiting for a contact to arrive, and a space in the pay and display bays, I observed that there was a heavy Parking Attendant presence. It looked like a regular hot spot ... punters picking up and dropping off and a number of chauffeurs waiting for clients.
Parking Attendant happy hunting ground!

A space became available in the last Pay and Display bay in a series of five or so. As the bay was incorrectly marked it therefore constituted free parking ... and there was no reason to allow a local authority to fall foul of another claim of benefiting from unlawfully derived income so I decided not to add to their woes by giving them any money for a p and d ticket.

Not long before the first Attendant arrived.

"Afternoon ... can I have a parking ticket please?"

This always causes confusion.

" Sir, are you going to buy a pay and display ticket?"

" No thank you ... and you know that I don't need to as the bay is incorrectly marked."

A little lesson in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 followed, and, by this time, I had been surrounded by 4 Parking Attendants. The supervisor identified himself and I advised him that if he gave me a ticket I would call him as a witness, and as a supervisor he should be aware that he couldn’t issue in an area which he knew was incorrectly marked. After a few moments he decided not to issue but claimed he was only doing as he was told by the council.

I said, " Well give me a ticket then and I will take my chances but I think you know that the restriction is incorrect and so when I prove that I intend to take action against the council and ensure that everyone who has been ticketed here can then claim their money back ... could cost a few quid. Do you fancy the challenge?"

He thought for a moment. He looked at his colleagues.

" I will report this to the council and ensure that they are aware that it is corrected."

They all departed the scene. No ticket was issued and I handed out a dozen or so leaflets to drivers who had spotted the car and witnessed events.

An hour later another Parking Attendant came. She checked the car.
I ambled over.
"I’m not giving you a ticket ... I’ve seen you on the telly."

Another lesson in the law was given while she read the advert on the car. She would not issue ... to me but then proceeded to ticket the car in front just as the driver returned 6 minutes after the expiry of his pay and display ticket. It was pointed out to him why the restriction was unlawful and therefore why he should not have been ticketed.
"I listen to you and Barrie on Talksport. I’ll sign up tonight and appeal the ticket."

Meanwhile, Kensington and Chelsea Council has just been put on notice that the bay does not comply with the law and they have been asked to confirm that they will suspend enforcement until the markings are corrected.

Want to know why the restriction is not legal? Visit http://www.parkingappeals.co.uk/

NCP in another fine mess ... this time Brighton

From 2003 to 2006 NCP ran a car park for Asda at Brighton Marina.

When the supermarket chain ended the contract, NCP sold on the recuperation of the outstanding fines to a debt recovery agency called Roxborough.

Now people are being contacted requesting the payment of unpaid 'fines' going back many months causing great concern and worry for many especially those who were unaware any ticket had been issued.

An Asda spokesman said: "We have issued a letter to NCP requesting the cancellation of all outstanding parking fines.
"We have also asked for fines that have already been paid for that period to be refunded and we expect them to be.

The story is reported here in the Brighton Argus.

When is the penny going to drop for these supermarkets that charging customers for parking them is one thing but then fining them for staying in the store too long smacks of bad business. And then courting more negative publicity with stories like this.

Remember Asda ... your reputation is now NCPs reputation. This is not the first time this has been reported. Remember the hospital car park?

Anyone who has paid a fine in such circumstances should contact Parking Appeals and we will assist you.

Not had any parking fines ... no worries, we'll still take your car

The 'parking industry' is unregulated and out of control.

Now this time it is a grandmother who has had her car seized ... because of fines racked up by a previous owner. More ...

This is just another example of how the DVLA and the enforcement industry do not and cannot interface to create a streamlined system, and an example of how you, the motorist, are being abused by a system which is ill-conceived and unworkable.

Just wait until the 'persistent offender' legislation kicks in ... a persistent offender being anyone with more than 3 unpaid Penalty Charge Notices ... and we will have more and more nightmare stories like the one above.

If you think it is not going to happen or statistically it won't happen to you ... let us have a look at the accuracy of the DVLA data base (thanks to No2ID for the content below). The response is from a DVLA official (my comments in bold):

"DVLA holds in excess of 36 million vehicle records and 47 million driver records, so as you can imagine, maintaining accuracy is extremely difficult, particularly when the Agency is totally dependant upon the motoring public for much of its information.
There is the first and most fundamental flaw ... entirely dependent on Joe Public for the information it holds. Joe Public forgets to post the letter, leaves it a few days etc. and the 'system' is affected.

DVLA takes its responsibility for providing accurate information to customers and stakeholders very seriously, and is continuously looking for ways to improve the quality of the information it holds. Over the last 6 years, there has been a progressive phasing-in of new initiatives aimed at improving accuracy.
But if Joe Public is the one who causes the system the most problems then there needs to be root and branch reform of the whole way vehicle registrations operate. Perhaps the US system where you own the registration number and it moves with you to your vehicle ... and local licensing centres control the transfer ... but it is politically sensitive as that could put thousands of jobs in Swansea under threat.

These include the introduction of Statutory Off Road Notification in 1998, the mandatory production of a registration document at licensing in 2003 and Continuous Registration in January 2004.

However, a single measure/level of accuracy is not appropriate because of the different measuring processes used by DVLA. The following information will give you an indication of how difficult it is to quote a single accuracy percentage. As a benchmark, DVLA conducted an Accuracy Survey in 2003. The results of the survey showed that 68% of the records on the vehicle database were perfectly correct in every aspect.
I love it when they play the percentage game. That means that 32% were not ... that is 15,040,000 driver records were not perfectly correct.

A further 22% contained spelling mistakes in name and address details or had out of date postcodes. However, these errors are minor in nature and, more importantly, do not stop mail being delivered or prevent police or manufacturers from tracing vehicle keepers in the event of an accident or a vehicle safety recall.

This, in effect, amounts to a 90% traceability level using the information on the vehicle database, which is extremely important in order for DVLA to meet its key objectives of helping to improve road safety and reduce vehicle crime.

90% traceability level means 10% are not traceable ... 4,700,000 vehicles / drivers. Now it becomes a concerns for enforcement agencies ... they cannot catch up with fine evaders BUT if you buy one of those 4.7m cars and correctly register it ... they will now catch up ... and you will be inconvenienced by either having to prove your innocence or having to recover an impounded car as illustrated by the story above.

Incidentally, the 2003 survey indicated that the main cause of inaccuracy on the vehicles database (as much as 10%) was as a result of vehicle keepers not informing DVLA when they sold/scrapped their vehicle or changed their address. Additionally, DVLA carries out a monthly monitoring exercise of the accuracy of information at data capture. The results show that DVLA staff consistently meets an accuracy level in excess of 97.5% each month. As you can see, there are 3 quite separate accuracy percentages; 68% perfect records, 90% traceable records and 97.5% records accurate at data capture, all of which are valid percentages, which are used for different purposes."

Linda Weaver

ACGB1

You have been warned ...

Belfast Traders start to suffer in parking clampdown

Looks like the authorities in Northern Ireland know that they are onto a nice little earner ... but at what cost.

The short termist view of cash to day results in crippled businesses tomorrow, an experience borne out across England and Wales.

To issue 160,000 tickets a year doesn't mean that motorists in Northern Ireland have suddenly become bad parkers ... it means that local authorities and enforcement companies have just struck gold as they are allowed to keep the money raised from parking tickets.

Read the report in the Belfast Telegraph here

Parking Appeals on Dispatches ... with some startling revelations

Tonight on Dispatches on Channel 4 at 8pm ... we attempt to get a parking ticket in Westminster.

A couple of weeks ago we filmed in London for the programme with the F1 NED vehicle in an attempt to show Parking Attendants issuing tickets in unlawfully marked bays.

Trouble was that we couldn't get a ticket BUT we record a Parking Attendant alleging that Westminster City Council was obtaining money unlawfully.

First we tried Norris Street in an illegally marked bay. Normally happy hunting ground for Parking Attendants but it was nearly 90 minutes before one appeared. I was standing over the other side of the street with a coffee when I observed the PA take notes and begin to walk away.

I challenged her and asked if she was going to issue a Penalty Charge Notice but she replied that she had just been taking down details of the website in case she needed to appeal.

She would not issue a PCN and when it was explained that the bay was unlawful she said that she was aware because 'she had seen something on the internet.'

We then relocated to Suffolk Place ... opposite New Zealand House where the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service is based.

The street is 'Pay by Text / Phone' both sides but there is also a pay and display machine still operating. The day previously the F1 NED vehicle had acquired a PCN at this location ... for failure to pay by text even though a pay and display ticket had been purchased and was clearly visible in the window.

The doorman of the nearby hotel had stuck a notice on the machine because he had seen so many motorists conned in a similar fashion.

However, Herron with vehicle and crew meant scarcity of Parking Attendants. We purchased a pay and display ticket ... and waited ... and waited.

Hours passed and then eventually a Parking Attendant appeared but could not be coaxed into issuing. He claimed that they had reported the fact that the machine was still accepting money and Westminster had been asked weeks ago to remove it but their requests had been ignored. They had continued however, to issue tickets ... but today, with cameras present he declined.

If you have suffered the same fate then drop us a line at enquiries@parkingappeals.co.uk