Councils use CCTV to collect £3 million in “ghost” parking tickets every year
More and more councils in the United Kingdom use CCTVs to issue automatic tickets for parking violations; throughout England, 265 local authorities collected £328 million in parking fines last year — more than three times as much as speed cameras raked in; motoring groups argue these “ghost tickets” are unfair because motorists do not know they had been fined until afterward, it is more difficult to check signs and mount an appeal
CCTV cameras are being used to issue “ghost” parking tickets by 34 councils in the United Kingdom, generating £3 million a year in fines. The cameras record parking rule infringements, with automated fine notices then sent to the vehicle’s owner. More councils are expected to soon adopt the technology.
The Daily Mail’s Scott Warren writes that motoring groups say ghost tickets are unfair, as it makes matters more difficult for motorists hoping to mount an appeal. They also argue the cameras cannot tell an illegally parked car from one with a disabled permit, or from a car that has been briefly stopped so the driver can consult a map.
AA president Edmund King said: “We regard them as ‘ghost tickets’ because drivers are unaware of their alleged offence for some time afterwards.” King says this is “not fair” because motorists do not know they had been fined until afterward, it is more difficult to check signs and mount an appeal. “These tickets are very hard to challenge because drivers are in no position to check the roadside signs or whether the ticket was issued by mistake.”
Throughout England, 265 local authorities collected £328 million in parking fines last year — more than three times as much as speed cameras raked in. Fines range from £120 in London to £70 elsewhere, with a 50 percent discount offered for offenders who pay their fine within fourteen days.
Cameras help authorities issue tickets for parking over yellow or red lines, in bus zones, on zig zags, or in a restricted bay.
Most councils issuing fines based on camera evidence are in London. Westminster is one London council using the technology. It saw the number of fines increase by almost 100,000 a year to 823,836, while in Enfield, north London, camera-generated tickets accounted for 40 percent of all parking fines in the first year.
Department for Transport advice says the cameras should only be used where it is too difficult for personnel to issue tickets. A Local Government Association spokesman told the Telegraph: “Councils will not apologize for giving out parking tickets to stop cars parking illegally. If people do not want a parking ticket, they should not park illegally.”
