New parking rules on BBC NEWS 24 Options

[greatscot]

BBC news 24 is repeating their coverage on TV of the new parking laws being brought in today 12/1/08
It's also on their website.

This is for England and Wales only at the moment as far as I can see.

BBC News parking


Parking rules 'could spell chaos'

Wheel clamping will be discouraged under new rules
New parking rules coming into force in England on 31 March will cause "some chaos" for drivers and see the number of fines soar, the AA has warned.

Under the new system, there will be different levels of fine depending on the offence and where it is committed.

In some areas, the penalty for the most serious breaches will rise by 20% and the body which adjudicates on fines says it is expecting more appeals.

But the government insists the system will be fairer and "more transparent".

The level of penalty imposed on drivers will depend on the offence in question.

Lesser offences will include overstaying in a pay-and-display bay.

More serious offences will include parking on double yellow lines or in a disabled bay.

The AA estimates that three quarters of all offences will fall into the serious category.

For the first time, councils outside London will be able to issue fines by post using CCTV evidence.

They will also be able to issue a penalty even when a motorist has driven away before a ticket can be physically placed on their car.

Transport Minister Rosie Winterton said this was vital because "some people will drive away very quickly if they see a parking attendant approaching".

"That can be dangerous for other drivers and it can be dangerous for pedestrians," Ms Winterton said.

"So we'll be allowing traffic wardens to issue tickets even if somebody is in the process of driving away and that's a real safety issue."

So 3/4 of fines will fall into the "more serious" category to quote the AA.
That sounds fair then
If it was 50:50 for more serious:less serious that would be fair. 3/4 into the more serious category sounds like more money for the Council to me!

CCTV evidence and not having to place a PCN on a car. You better get learning these regs.

Not having to place a PCN on a car because it's a "safety issue". What crap!!

Folks this is going to get much, much worse for us.

The only thing going for the guys on Pepipoo is the fact that we will know the regs better than the Councils. But your average punter is going to get hammered.

[Advertisement]

[clark_kent]

(clark_kent @ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 - 20:15) *
Don't worry I will ask my friends at the Town Hall to dedicate all the 'drive away' PCNs they start sending through the post to your memory! laugh.gif

You smug git. You, slow driver and spaceman are made for each other.

Clark Kent and all of your ilk really do nothing for this board. We (genuine pepipoo members) are trying to stand up for peoples rights for a bit of justice.

And what a good job you are doing! Lets just hope the next speeding car to kill a child is not driven by one of your genuine members, or the next ambulance held up on a 999 call by smug drivers parked on DYL with a missing T bar is not too late to save someones life. Ok maybe these cases are extremes but I'm glad you are willing to take the risk just to make your oh so important point.
You can happily sit in your little forum preaching your message to the sad souls who feel upset they got caught by the nasty parking attendants who would rather blame 'the system' than the fact they don't have a basic knowledge of the highway code but in the real world most people hate those that park illegally.

[Slow Driver]

Nim, what is your problem?

Smug PA's. There you are. "Do the crime, do the time" and your "serious (serious, are you serious) single yellow line offences"

And since when have I been smug?
Sure I think people should park legally but I'm not going to go out of my way to hunt for them. If I see them I'll issue but I'm not going to go 'hunting' for them.

It isn't all about tickets you know. The main part of my job is simply to be a visible deterrent and try to put people off parking illegally in order to keep the roads clear for the emergency services. I hope you never need their assistance only to find they can't get to you..

I know you probably think we're all out to get you but trust me, we're not - i couldn't really give a toss. One thing is obvious though - You've been booked in the past..

[legaladviser]

Is it me or does clark kent become more rabid by the day?

[leegomery16]

I'm amused that the correct and proper application and operation of the law is an "oh so important" point, to be said with sarcasm. Perhaps if certain people actually had experience of enforcing proper laws (ie serious criminal offences) then they would understand the importance of the correct application of the law.

[Wayne Pendle]

And what a good job you are doing! Lets just hope the next speeding car to kill a child is not driven by one of your genuine members, or the next ambulance held up on a 999 call by smug drivers parked on DYL with a missing T bar is not too late to save someones life. Ok maybe these cases are extremes but I'm glad you are willing to take the risk just to make your oh so important point.
You can happily sit in your little forum preaching your message to the sad souls who feel upset they got caught by the nasty parking attendants who would rather blame 'the system' than the fact they don't have a basic knowledge of the highway code but in the real world most people hate those that park illegally.

"We make war that we may live in peace".
Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics 352 BC

(Still highly applicable today)

I know you probably think we're all out to get you but trust me, we're not - i couldn't really give a toss. One thing is obvious though - You've been booked in the past..

“Trust is like a vase.. once it's broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again.”

Some wise soul.

[TINBASHER]

In the last 10 to 20 years or so vehicle ownership has expanded exponentially and continues to do so. In this time waste/derelict land previously utilised for parking has been developed, multi story car parks have not been as lucrative to build compared to high revenue office blocks, councils have ear marked the car owner as an easy milking cow to subsidise their over spending by erecting meters and pay and display at (regardless of the fact that vehicle excise duty the major contributor in funding our road network system as well as subsidising all manner of other government expenditure) every conceivable space. Cowboy private parking schemes nay scams. Bus lay-bys removed so you have to queue behind them when they stop. Disabled bays, loading bays, sex bays.. opps sorry they haven't implemented those yet have they....Ah yes they are for the wardens who want to screw us.

And how do the government and authorities tackle this problem...they give us Bus lanes (although every time I see one they are half full at most), taxi lanes, car share lanes, Oxford city centre style one-way systems, spy cameras, over zealous parking wardens (some of which have been rewarded with a prize of a Ford fiesta If I recall for attaining the most parking tickets, some of which I have had the displeasure of attempted conversation but was unable to understand their native tongue) councils and government have gone out of their way to deter vehicle usage by slapping down restrictions such yellow lines at every conceivable stretch of road. Road narrowing schemes,etc

AND YOU WONDER WHY THE MOTORIST DOESN'T EXACTLY SEE EYE TO EYE WITH YOU...GET A LIFE!

And before you go down the avenue of "I suppose you would allow double parking on yellow lines would you"...No I wouldn't but as I walk around my town I see scope for removing stretches of yellow lines without serious disadvantages to anyone. Why is it councils can spend thousands farting around with bus stops etc but cant provide more on street parking ....BECAUSE THE CAR DRIVER IS ON PAR TO DOGS FAECES IN THEIR VIEW.

Best Regards Tb

[His Grace]

I'm amused that the correct and proper application and operation of the law is an "oh so important" point, to be said with sarcasm. Perhaps if certain people actually had experience of enforcing proper laws (ie serious criminal offences) then they would understand the importance of the correct application of the law.

By which time we shall surely need to recruit and train thousands of specialist Air Traffic Controllers, to safely marshall the porcine holding-patterns ....

Incoming ....

[rambo]

I agree with clark kent, park legally.
However you can only park legally if the bay's and or yellow lines are legal, and as we know from bitter experience, most of the time they are not.

What we the members on here are fighting for clark kent is for the parking regulations to be enforced LEGALLY.

[greatscot]

Is it me or does clark kent become more rabid by the day?

LA, it does seem particularly rabid at the moment!!

And what a good job you are doing! Lets just hope the next speeding car to kill a child is not driven by one of your genuine members, or the next ambulance held up on a 999 call by smug drivers parked on DYL with a missing T bar is not too late to save someones life.

SIMPLE NONSENSE!!! Life is a risky thing, we don't know if we're going to get home to our bed at night, any one of us. To use this as an excuse to hammer motorists is ludicrous.

Here is a former traffic officers letter to a paper on the multiplication of speed camera sites about the country,(It's in the Press articles section)

Are cameras money milking machines?

Published on 03/01/2008

MAY I thank Messrs Callaghan and Tea for their response to my letter.

I would like to correct one comment in that I did not call for an investigation into the disproportionate number of tickets issued by Cumbria in 2004, that was our MP Mr Martlew.

What my letter specifically asked for was the number of fixed penalty tickets issued by the Cumbria Camera Partnership in the years 2005 and 2006, but this went unanswered.

Some delay has been experienced in obtaining this information, however it is now to hand.

In Cumbria in 2005, 29,752 fixed penalty notices were issued, bringing in £1,787,520. This compares to Durham – 1,570 tickets (£94,200) and North Yorkshire – 5,751 tickets (£345,060).

The following year Cumbria issued 26,836 tickets (£1,610,180), Durham 2,271 (£136,260) and North Yorkshire 6,214 (£372,840).

We repeatedly read the comments by Messrs Callaghan and Tea that such a large enforcement is necessary to reduce the number of fatalities in accidents on our roads, so let us look at the comparative achievement there.

In Cumbria between 2005 and 2006 fatalities rose 31 per cent, compared to minus 26 per cent in Durham and minus 25 per cent in North Yorkshire.

I am not cherry picking, these are actual figures, which ably demonstrate that forces such as Durham and North Yorkshire who do not operate a Camera Partnership, but use proper policemen in traffic cars presenting a visible presence, can advise and use discretion as to whether to issue proceedings.

These figures make a complete mockery of the Camera Partnership System and lend support to the view they have become “motorists money milking machines”.

In some areas funding has been withdrawn for these partnerships citing the fact “they have lost sight of original purpose”.

The forces researched were not randomly picked, but the ones quoted from an article in The Cumberland News.

I trust by now Mr Martlew has initiated his inquiry as to the disproportionate number of tickets issued by Cumbria Safety Camera Partnership and look forward to his response.

IAN BENSON

Ex Cumbria Traffic Officer

So what was your point again about speeding drivers Clark??

You can happily sit in your little forum

Yes, we can happily sit in our little forum, if you can't, BUTT OUT.

The main part of my job is simply to be a visible deterrent and try to put people off parking illegally in order to keep the roads clear for the emergency services. I hope you never need their assistance only to find they can't get to you..

Slow driver, if you really believe this is the reason for your job, you simply don't get it, do you?.

I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing this Health and Safety CRAP!!!


P.S. Wayne I'm quite impressed with the quotations.

This post has been edited by greatscot: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 - 09:37

[nimh999]

Cars that drive away when a PCN IS a SERIOUS saftey issue.

My opinion. You could quite easily step away from the vehicle and put it down to a drive away. But no. You want to prove a point that you have to issue the PCN, and endangering your own life is the way to go.

Just step away. Easy peasy.

You do the crime, then do the time.

Yeah, like this is a crime.

The lot of you.

You have just lost the plot.

Disabled bays are also a serious offence.

Agreed disabled bays should be enforced, but serious offence? No.

Bus Stop Clearways are a serious offence.

Agreed bus lanes shoud be enforced, but serious offence? No.

Yellow lines are a serious offence.

Sorry but no. The majority of yellow lines could quite easily be removed and there would not be anarchy on our streets. Enforcing certain parking is definately no problem but we have now gone too far in that it has now got sod all to do with flow of traffic.

PA's on their little mopeds darting around for an easy PCN. Then they jump back on in double quick time before they can get an ear full.

CCTV Smart cars parked on yellow lines so that they can issue yellow line PCN's. Where's the logic in that?

And you know that when the law changes so that a PCN will not have to be served on the driver or the vehicle it's going to get ten times worse.

Loading restrictions (Yellow kerb markings) are a serious offence.

Sorry but no. The majority of loading restrictions could quite easily be removed.

You contradict yourself too much. On the one hand sying how fair you are and that you use discretion. Then you harp on about "serious offences" and "You do the crime, then do the time"

And as much as you try and justify how good a PA you might be, for me the above comments only show that deep down you are just a smug PA.

One thing is obvious though - You've been booked in the past..

Plenty of times. Haven't paid a PCN in years. All invalid.

Invalid PCN's. Now there's a crime.