Today's most viewed
| HAVE YOUR SAY |  | | | MAKEOVER FOR TOWN | | | | ELVIS LIVES! | | | | OLYMPIC LUCK | | |
|
|
|
Countdown to two-tier parking fine system
THE countdown is now on with just days before a new parking fine system is launched to punish law-breaking motorists.
From Monday, civil enforcement officers, formerly known as traffic wardens and parking attendants, will have greater powers.
CEOs will be able to issue two levels of fines depending on the seriousness of the offence, send fines through the post to motorists who drive away and issue tickets to drivers who stop on or near crossings.
The Traffic Management Act also opens the way for local councils to follow London's lead and introduce cameras at junctions to catch even more inconsiderate motorists.
Under the new system the flat-rate £60 parking fine will be replaced with a two-tier penalty system.
That means that drivers who over-stay their parking ticket can expect a £50 fine while anyone caught illegally parking in a disabled bay, on double yellow lines or blocking junctions or crossings will get a £70 fine.
Both fines will be halved if paid within a fortnight.
Cllr Robert Lawton, Bournemouth council cabinet member with responsibility for transport and the environment, insisted that the changes to parking enforcement were not "a revenue-raising exercise."
He said: "Parking rules are there to ease congestion, reduce the number of accidents on the roads and keep traffic moving in a safe and efficient way through the borough."
Cllr Mike White, portfolio holder for transport and the local economy at Borough of Poole, said the idea was to make the system fairer. He said Poole was forecasting a loss of between £12,500 and £23,500 every year because most parking offences in the borough were at the lower end of the scale.
"We will have to recover that money elsewhere," he added.
"The most obvious way would be through parking charges."
7:00pm Friday 28th March 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: PokesdownMark, Pokesdown on 8:57pm Fri 28 Mar 08
The idea that income from fines gets to be so relied upon that shortcomings simply have to be made up from other areas is a little troubling, no?
The idea that income from fines gets to be so relied upon that shortcomings simply have to be made up from other areas is a little troubling, no?
Posted by: paul, poole on 11:47pm Fri 28 Mar 08
Of course it's a revenue raising exercise! Since when did parking and overstaying your time in a Parking space contribute to congestion? The Council have no idea what people have to go through to try and live their everyday lives when putting grub on the table, how do you know how much these people earn? We're not all made of money you know! If you want me spend my money in town then give me a bit of leeway won't you and charge me a reasonable fine not something that's going to knock my Household bills for six!
Of course it's a revenue raising exercise! Since when did parking and overstaying your time in a Parking space contribute to congestion? The Council have no idea what people have to go through to try and live their everyday lives when putting grub on the table, how do you know how much these people earn? We're not all made of money you know! If you want me spend my money in town then give me a bit of leeway won't you and charge me a reasonable fine not something that's going to knock my Household bills for six!
Posted by: rayc, Poole on 8:53am Sat 29 Mar 08
Cllr Mike White, portfolio holder for transport and the local economy at Borough of Poole, said the idea was to make the system fairer. He said Poole was forecasting a loss of between £12,500 and £23,500 every year because most parking offences in the borough were at the lower end of the scale".
Why is the council depending on drivers breaking the rules to balance their books? What happens if there are no are penalties issued, does some esential service get cut?
It is open to corruption for the law makers,the law enforcers and the revenue earners to be the same council. As
Councillor White has implied there are targets and by hook or by crook the council will invent more petty regulations that motorists will unintentionally break.
Cllr Mike White, portfolio holder for transport and the local economy at Borough of Poole, said the idea was to make the system fairer. He said Poole was forecasting a loss of between £12,500 and £23,500 every year because most parking offences in the borough were at the lower end of the scale".
Why is the council depending on drivers breaking the rules to balance their books? What happens if there are no are penalties issued, does some esential service get cut?
It is open to corruption for the law makers,the law enforcers and the revenue earners to be the same council. As
Councillor White has implied there are targets and by hook or by crook the council will invent more petty regulations that motorists will unintentionally break.
Posted by: Jerry, poole, dorset on 9:53am Sat 29 Mar 08
[quote][bold]paul[/bold] wrote:
Of course it's a revenue raising exercise! Since when did parking and overstaying your time in a Parking space contribute to congestion? The Council have no idea what people have to go through to try and live their everyday lives when putting grub on the table, how do you know how much these people earn? We're not all made of money you know! If you want me spend my money in town then give me a bit of leeway won't you and charge me a reasonable fine not something that's going to knock my Household bills for six![/quote] This is nothing to do with congestion, Paul. It is to do with enforcing Parking Regulations in pay-to-park areas (car parks, on-street parking, etc.)
If you overstay you paid time, you are preventing another vehicle from parking (and paying for the privalidge).
I agree with 'rayc' though. The Council should not rely upon fines to "top-up" shortfalls. Similarly, what would happen of no-one sped on out roads and speed cameras rusted up and died? The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership is supposed to be self-financing. If it gets no income (from fines) it would go into liquidation and close down. Now there's a story...
paul wrote:
Of course it's a revenue raising exercise! Since when did parking and overstaying your time in a Parking space contribute to congestion? The Council have no idea what people have to go through to try and live their everyday lives when putting grub on the table, how do you know how much these people earn? We're not all made of money you know! If you want me spend my money in town then give me a bit of leeway won't you and charge me a reasonable fine not something that's going to knock my Household bills for six!
This is nothing to do with congestion, Paul. It is to do with enforcing Parking Regulations in pay-to-park areas (car parks, on-street parking, etc.)
If you overstay you paid time, you are preventing another vehicle from parking (and paying for the privalidge).
I agree with 'rayc' though. The Council should not rely upon fines to "top-up" shortfalls. Similarly, what would happen of no-one sped on out roads and speed cameras rusted up and died? The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership is supposed to be self-financing. If it gets no income (from fines) it would go into liquidation and close down. Now there's a story...
Posted by: Jerry, poole, dorset on 9:56am Sat 29 Mar 08
By the way, there is plenty of free (up to 2 hours) on-street parking available in Poole. You may have to walk a little further to the shops but, hey, NO PARKING FEES and provided you do not overstay, NO FINES!
By the way, there is plenty of free (up to 2 hours) on-street parking available in Poole. You may have to walk a little further to the shops but, hey, NO PARKING FEES and provided you do not overstay, NO FINES!
Posted by: alumchineboy, Alumchine on 9:59am Sat 29 Mar 08
I once had access to a London council's CCTV room. Inside there were several individuals sat looking at screens covering junctions. Every 5/10 or 30 seconds or so they would write down a index number and then a £100 fine would be issued. it was pointed out to me that this money is very useful for the council .....
lets face it, Bournemouth is doing the same to raise more money. I recently got a ticket from a camera in London for stopping in a bus stop layby at 11pm ( no buses were running ) and had to pay it. No warden etc but the camera was positioned to catch me and ....I had to pay up. This use of the camera's is only goping to get worse.
Its amazing that they will let beach huts get burnt out and broken into and not update or repair the CCTV yet they'll go for the resident who has dared to venture into town by trying to catch him out in a sneaky way.
In the old days enforcement was aimed at keeping the roads clear and safe...these days it's all about money.
I once had access to a London council's CCTV room. Inside there were several individuals sat looking at screens covering junctions. Every 5/10 or 30 seconds or so they would write down a index number and then a £100 fine would be issued. it was pointed out to me that this money is very useful for the council .....
lets face it, Bournemouth is doing the same to raise more money. I recently got a ticket from a camera in London for stopping in a bus stop layby at 11pm ( no buses were running ) and had to pay it. No warden etc but the camera was positioned to catch me and ....I had to pay up. This use of the camera's is only goping to get worse.
Its amazing that they will let beach huts get burnt out and broken into and not update or repair the CCTV yet they'll go for the resident who has dared to venture into town by trying to catch him out in a sneaky way.
In the old days enforcement was aimed at keeping the roads clear and safe...these days it's all about money.
Posted by: busman, Bournemouth on 10:27am Sat 29 Mar 08
personally, I dont give a monkeys where the money is going, something needs to be done about the way some drivers feel they are above the law and park wherever they want (in my experience , they always seem to be Range Rover and Mercedes drivers!) Westbourne should be targeted first, every night there is a time when you cant get out of Alum Chine Road onto Seamoor Road because some inconsiderate idiot has parked on the apex of the junction so I had to wait patiently for him to get his fish and chips and was treated to "the finger" when he returned. And last night a Range Rover was parked in the bus stop by the Hogs Head for 4 hours which meant a disabled passenger on my bus had to be helped out into the middle of the road because I couldn't get near to the kerb. This took myself and two other passengers to achieve.
and then, would you believe, a motorist who had been held up during this operation called me all sorts of names for blocking the road! and people wonder why we sometimes get a bit grumpy!
personally, I dont give a monkeys where the money is going, something needs to be done about the way some drivers feel they are above the law and park wherever they want (in my experience , they always seem to be Range Rover and Mercedes drivers!) Westbourne should be targeted first, every night there is a time when you cant get out of Alum Chine Road onto Seamoor Road because some inconsiderate idiot has parked on the apex of the junction so I had to wait patiently for him to get his fish and chips and was treated to "the finger" when he returned. And last night a Range Rover was parked in the bus stop by the Hogs Head for 4 hours which meant a disabled passenger on my bus had to be helped out into the middle of the road because I couldn't get near to the kerb. This took myself and two other passengers to achieve.
and then, would you believe, a motorist who had been held up during this operation called me all sorts of names for blocking the road! and people wonder why we sometimes get a bit grumpy!
Posted by: Clarance, Bournemouth on 10:31am Sat 29 Mar 08
Quite simple - again - lazy slow thinking people who are therefore think only of themselves will be hit by this. and a good job to!
Shame the councils make public that they relpy of the revenue - but that is like regular overtime - you get used to the money! Or so they tell me.
Good piece of law, lets see how well it is enforced.
Quite simple - again - lazy slow thinking people who are therefore think only of themselves will be hit by this. and a good job to!
Shame the councils make public that they relpy of the revenue - but that is like regular overtime - you get used to the money! Or so they tell me.
Good piece of law, lets see how well it is enforced.
Posted by: John Goodhew on 4:42pm Sat 29 Mar 08
Ah yet again the poor old motorist hammered. Maybe the council could get the smoke police to collect fines, as they appear to do little else!
Ah yet again the poor old motorist hammered. Maybe the council could get the smoke police to collect fines, as they appear to do little else!
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
