Councils grab £10m from parking tickets
News Shopper
By Chris Johnson
OVER three years, Lewisham and Greenwich councils collectively issued more than 360,000 parking fines - netting the authorities nearly £10m.
Figures show from April 2003 to April this year, Lewisham Council gave out 192,693 tickets for parking offences, while Greenwich issued 169,794.
Of the fines issued in Lewisham, 104,135 were paid, making £3,800,000 - a 54 per cent collection rate.
In Greenwich, 93,672 of the fines were paid, generating £5,709,452 - a 55 per cent collection rate.
Council chiefs say it is impossible to calcuate the value of the uncollected fines.
This is because some of the unpaid fines could have been overturned at appeal.
Fines also vary depending on where they are handed out and how long motorists take to pay.
The money raised goes towards traffic- enforcement costs and road maintenance.
From the south east London boroughs, Bromley's 35 parking wardens made their council more money than Bexley, Lewisham and Greenwich.
Over the three years, Bromley Council issued 199,196 tickets, of which 151,388 were paid, generating £6,986,717.
Bexley's 25 wardens gave out 189,997 fines, of which 123,150 were paid, amassing £6,343,000.
Greenwich is looking to employ more wardens after recruitment problems led to 13,000 fewer fines being issued in the past financial year, compared to 2004/05.
News Shopper reported last week how Greenwich Council plans to recruit two more wardens to generate an extra £233,000 and issue 6,000 more tickets than last year's 49,000.
Chairman of transport watchdog London TravelWatch Brian Cooke said: "Councils should ensure collection rates improve. Ninety per cent would be a good target.
"They also need to exercise their discretion in issuing fines.
"Someone who overruns the meter by five minutes should not pay the same price as someone who parks on a red route."
11:23am Tuesday 12th December 2006
By Chris Johnson
OVER three years, Lewisham and Greenwich councils collectively issued more than 360,000 parking fines - netting the authorities nearly £10m.
Figures show from April 2003 to April this year, Lewisham Council gave out 192,693 tickets for parking offences, while Greenwich issued 169,794.
Of the fines issued in Lewisham, 104,135 were paid, making £3,800,000 - a 54 per cent collection rate.
In Greenwich, 93,672 of the fines were paid, generating £5,709,452 - a 55 per cent collection rate.
Council chiefs say it is impossible to calcuate the value of the uncollected fines.
This is because some of the unpaid fines could have been overturned at appeal.
Fines also vary depending on where they are handed out and how long motorists take to pay.
The money raised goes towards traffic- enforcement costs and road maintenance.
From the south east London boroughs, Bromley's 35 parking wardens made their council more money than Bexley, Lewisham and Greenwich.
Over the three years, Bromley Council issued 199,196 tickets, of which 151,388 were paid, generating £6,986,717.
Bexley's 25 wardens gave out 189,997 fines, of which 123,150 were paid, amassing £6,343,000.
Greenwich is looking to employ more wardens after recruitment problems led to 13,000 fewer fines being issued in the past financial year, compared to 2004/05.
News Shopper reported last week how Greenwich Council plans to recruit two more wardens to generate an extra £233,000 and issue 6,000 more tickets than last year's 49,000.
Chairman of transport watchdog London TravelWatch Brian Cooke said: "Councils should ensure collection rates improve. Ninety per cent would be a good target.
"They also need to exercise their discretion in issuing fines.
"Someone who overruns the meter by five minutes should not pay the same price as someone who parks on a red route."
11:23am Tuesday 12th December 2006
posted by Neil Herron at 10:12 AM
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