Parking enforcement in London

Parking enforcement in London PDF Parking enforcement in London RTF

This report is a timely one. The Road Traffic Act 1991 decriminalised parking enforcement and by 1996 all London boroughs had taken on parking enforcement. It is therefore just over ten years since boroughs started to take over the control of parking.

By 2003/04 nearly six million penalty charge notices were issued in London bringing in an income of some £300 million pounds for boroughs who, after expenditure, made surpluses of more than £113 million pounds for their parking accounts.

Responses from the public and business highlighted concerns with the issues of revenue raising, proportionality and discretion. Other issues surround problems with signage, the complexity of regulations operating in London and difficulties of dealing with the challenge and appeal process.

This London Assembly investigation sought to question and highlight those areas where the public believe difficulties lie and suggest common sense ways forward to alleviate the seeming growing tensions between restriction and compliance.

The report concludes that the boroughs are recognising that there is an issue of public confidence and it is in their interest to demonstrate that everything they do leading to a ticket is valid, proportionate and fair. Boroughs are slowly moving in that direction.