4000 hit by Bank Holiday parking fines

Alan Roden Transport Reporter

THOUSANDS of motorists have been hit with "sneaky" fines dished out by parking enforcers over the festive bank holidays.
Nearly 4000 drivers were given penalties over just three days - meaning city parking chiefs raked in at least £116,000.

The local authority ordered Edinburgh's notorious parking Enforcers to work on all but one of the Christmas and New Year holidays, sparking condemnation from motoring groups and business leaders.
But the tactic means the council, which is facing a huge shortfall in parking income this year, pocketed fines from hundreds more drivers than on a normal working day. Last Monday, the number of £30 penalties issued was around two-and-a-half times higher than on average.
The RAC today said the council had not done enough to warn motorists the restrictions would be enforced, and accused parking chiefs of showing "a lack of goodwill".
Head of campaigns Sue Nicholson said: "There was clearly an element of confusion in the city. The council should have publicised this better.
"I would have preferred it if they had been more tolerant, and had a more generous approach to parking at holiday time. I think a relaxation of restrictions is preferable at this time of year, because people have a drink and leave their car overnight. We don't want them driving in the morning.
"If Edinburgh really is interested in welcoming motorists, then this would have been a good time to demonstrate that."
On Monday, a bank holiday in lieu of New Year's Day, 1768 cars were slapped with tickets, with 1297 motorists also hit on December 27. On Tuesday this week, 804 people were caught illegally parked.
The figures are far higher than for the average working day, when fewer than 700 tickets are handed out. In total, 21,620 penalties were issued in December.
The city council today defended its parking strategy, and said the number of fines issued was lower than last year on two of the public holidays. However, the total number of penalty notices - 3869 - was slightly higher than in 2004-5.
Bruce Young, Lothian co-ordinator for lobby group the Association of British Drivers, said: "They just can't help themselves, can they?
"It was very sneaky of the parking chiefs to send out the Enforcers on public holidays.
"Why is it that Edinburgh's Labour administration can succeed only by deceit of the very people who elected them?"
Enforcing parking rules on bank holidays has been a controversial topic in Edinburgh ever since restrictions came into force more than 30 years ago.
While public holidays follow a "rollover" principle if they occur at the weekend, as they did this year, the dates on which parking regulations are lifted are specified in legislation. Although the city council was within its rights to issue fines, other local authorities, including Glasgow City Council, chose to lift any restrictions. Dundee and Aberdeen, however, also insisted on enforcement.
Nigel Duncan, Lothian branch vice-chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the strict enforcement of parking rules in the city would not encourage motorists back from out-of-town shopping centres.
"They were wrong to send the Enforcers out - it doesn't give out the right message," he said.
"At this time of year, people want to visit the sales.
"Next time, they will go to the Gyle Shopping Centre or Ocean Terminal, because they don't want the hassle of receiving a parking fine."
Tory transport spokesman, Councillor Allan Jackson, added: "It is quite obvious that the good citizens of Edinburgh thought they had a few days off. However, the council was looking around for money, and they succeeded in finding a lot of it."
But city transport leader Andrew Burns said parking restrictions were designed to provide access to the city for as many residents as possible. "Like many Scottish cities, we enforce parking regulations during busy shopping days during the holidays; though, in fact, we enforce fewer days than some cities, such as Aberdeen and Dundee, which enforce parking regulations on Boxing Day as well," he said.
"The days around Christmas and New Year are some of the busiest in the city centre, and without parking controls, some motorists could park all day in busy areas, which would mean residents, disabled people and other shoppers wouldn't be able to access parking at all.
"Cities around the world with dense city centres and limited on-street parking like Edinburgh, use regulations to control traffic at busy times, making sure parked cars don't dangerously block traffic and cause congestion."