Fall in PCNs issued for illegal parking and driving in bus lanes
The total number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued in London for illegal parking, driving in bus lanes and moving traffic contraventions has fallen by 11 per cent.
Figures released today by London Councils show that a total of 5,466,219 PCNs were issued by the boroughs and Transport for London (TfL) between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009. This is a reduction of 710,533 from the previous year.
The number of tickets issued for illegal parking fell this year by around 11 per cent to 4,689,309, while 540,120 penalties were issued for moving traffic contraventions - a drop of around 71,000 from the previous year.
A two tier parking penalty system - based on the seriousness of the contravention committed - has been in operation across London since July 2007.
The figures show that three quarters of the parking penalties issued this year were for contraventions in the higher band of penalties - echoing the call of Londoners for councils to focus their enforcement on those causing the most amount of disruption, frustration and danger to other road users.
Penalties for illegally driving in bus lanes were down by a 20 per cent from last year to 233,927. This means that the number of PCNs issued to people wrongly using bus lanes has nearly halved in two years - with 409,422 issued in 2006/07.
Today's figures also show that around one per cent of the penalties issued resulted in an appeal being lodged with the independent adjudicators at the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS)
The total number of appeals lodged with the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS) in 2008/09 was 76,476 compared to 64,071 the previous year.
PATAS heard 70,746 appeals in 2008/09, an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year. However the numbers of appeals won by motorists remained at 72 per cent of the appeals heard.
Chairman of London Council's Transport and Environment Committee, Councillor Mike Fisher, said: "It appears that people are beginning to heed the warnings that if they break the rules they will get a ticket.
"At the same time, councils are successfully making more efforts to focus their activities on parking contraventions that matter most while spending less time penalising minor cases such as overstaying on a meter for a few minutes.
"These figures also show that the capital's award winning two tier parking system is continuing to successfully target drivers causing the most disruption to other road users. This can only help everyone travel across the capital safely and smoothly.
"I would also remind anyone who feels they should not have received a ticket that they have the right to appeal to the independent Parking and Traffic Appeals Service who have the final say in every disputed case."
The figures also show that:
- Clamping is down by 80 per cent from 48,753 in 2007/8 to 9,832 in 2008/9.
- The number of vehicles removed fell by a quarter from 87,770 in 2007/8 to 65,662 in 2008/9.
- Of the 4,689,309 parking penalties issued in 2008/9, 3,515,874 were for higher level contraventions and 1,173,435 were lower level.
August 11, 2009