A landmark ruling by the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service could mean drivers issued parking tickets by mobile CCTV vans have their fines quashed and open the door for millions of pounds worth of appeals.

The case was brought by Nigel Wise who discovered CCTV vans used by Richmond council were using the wrong type of camera, thus rendering his £100 PCN invalid.

Richmond council had not applied for the correct camera certificate however, they are blaming the government agency responsible for issuing the certificates for the error.

According to Big Brother Watch, there are 43 Smart Cars equipped with CCTV in at least 24 boroughs. It is estimated that up to £10 million worth of tickets are issued by these vehicles every year.

A recent report by Big Brother Watch showed that Hounslow Council spends more on CCTV than any other local authority in London with a bill of £3,573,186.45. The local authority was crowned Enforcement Award Winners at The British Parking Awards last month. The awards attracted over 80 entries, which are reviewed by a panel of independent experts drawn from the parking, transport, enforcement, marketing and other sectors.

April 27, 2011