Almost half of all parking fines overturned
Hornsey and Crouch End Journal 24
30 August 06
PARKING wardens and traffic cameras are dishing out more and more undeserved or incorrect fines on hundreds of motorists in Haringey.
Figures for the first three months of 2006 reveal that nearly half of all parking fines in Haringey contested by drivers were overturned, and nearly a quarter of those cases were not even contested by the council's lawyers.
Results from independent parking adjudicators, the Parking And Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS), reveal a 38 per cent jump in drivers contesting parking fines - up from 224 (October to December) to 310 (January to March) - but crucially, the success rate of appeals also rose from 45 per cent to 49 per cent.
Simon Aldridge, director of London Motorists' Action Group and a resident of Christchurch Road, Crouch End, said: "They don't actually look at their evidence, I don't think, until somebody goes to the adjudicator and they have to produce that evidence. They are wasting everyone's time."
During the first quarter of 2006, PATAS resolved 226 disputes, with 116 in favour of the council and 110 in favour of the driver.
The council did not contest 28 of those disputes.
Bus lane disputes saw 38 per cent of appeals won by drivers between January and March, but this was out of just 32 appeals decided.
Haringey has progressively issued more and more Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) since 2000-01, when it issued 142,484 tickets, excluding bus lane fines.
In 2004-05, it issued 200,630 PCNs, including bus lane fines.
Mr Aldridge added: "The council won't see more than 65 per cent of tickets paid. They will cancel 15 to 20 per cent of PCNs themselves, after informal challenges, and another 15 per cent will be written off because the car is unregistered and that sort of thing."
PATAS dealt with 995 disputes between April 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006, in Haringey.
More than half of those appeals - 530 - were allowed, and 143 cases were not contested by council lawyers. PATAS refused 465 appeals and a further three were withdrawn.
Transport for London also manages numerous roads in the borough including Seven Sisters Road and the A10 route.
It lost 59 per cent of appeals in the capital over the same period - 1,020 out of 1,729 cases.
A Haringey Council spokeswoman said: "The council has sought legal advice and is confident that all PCNs issued comply with the legislation, and will be enforced.
30 August 06
PARKING wardens and traffic cameras are dishing out more and more undeserved or incorrect fines on hundreds of motorists in Haringey.
Figures for the first three months of 2006 reveal that nearly half of all parking fines in Haringey contested by drivers were overturned, and nearly a quarter of those cases were not even contested by the council's lawyers.
Results from independent parking adjudicators, the Parking And Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS), reveal a 38 per cent jump in drivers contesting parking fines - up from 224 (October to December) to 310 (January to March) - but crucially, the success rate of appeals also rose from 45 per cent to 49 per cent.
Simon Aldridge, director of London Motorists' Action Group and a resident of Christchurch Road, Crouch End, said: "They don't actually look at their evidence, I don't think, until somebody goes to the adjudicator and they have to produce that evidence. They are wasting everyone's time."
During the first quarter of 2006, PATAS resolved 226 disputes, with 116 in favour of the council and 110 in favour of the driver.
The council did not contest 28 of those disputes.
Bus lane disputes saw 38 per cent of appeals won by drivers between January and March, but this was out of just 32 appeals decided.
Haringey has progressively issued more and more Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) since 2000-01, when it issued 142,484 tickets, excluding bus lane fines.
In 2004-05, it issued 200,630 PCNs, including bus lane fines.
Mr Aldridge added: "The council won't see more than 65 per cent of tickets paid. They will cancel 15 to 20 per cent of PCNs themselves, after informal challenges, and another 15 per cent will be written off because the car is unregistered and that sort of thing."
PATAS dealt with 995 disputes between April 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006, in Haringey.
More than half of those appeals - 530 - were allowed, and 143 cases were not contested by council lawyers. PATAS refused 465 appeals and a further three were withdrawn.
Transport for London also manages numerous roads in the borough including Seven Sisters Road and the A10 route.
It lost 59 per cent of appeals in the capital over the same period - 1,020 out of 1,729 cases.
A Haringey Council spokeswoman said: "The council has sought legal advice and is confident that all PCNs issued comply with the legislation, and will be enforced.
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