Debate on Parking Regulation

11.29.29am GMT Mon 23rd Jun 2008

Vincent Cable MP secured a debate this week on parking regulation after he had been "inundated by case-work from local residents with 'horror stories' of parking fines and bad experiences across London.

There have been so many bad experiences of extreme and insensitive penalties that it is clear that recent legislation requiring more flexibility and fairer treatment isn't getting through". He specifically asked the Minister to address several problem areas:

(i) Towing away of vehicles. He cited the example of a 76 year old Hampton Hill woman whose car had been towed away by a Hounslow Council contractor from a quiet, unpopulated, road at the back of West Middlesex Hospital where she was caring for a sick husband. She was causing no obstruction; there was no traffic; and she then had enormous travails and cost in retrieving the car. A House of Commons Select Committee has already criticises such practices which may be contrary to Human Rights legislation.

(ii) Warnings about costs. Vincent Cable said that may people were afraid to pursue parking appeals because of warnings on the ticket that they could be liable for additional costs. But he had found out that only 1 in 20,000 appeals resulted in extra cost: "there is little doubt that elderly people in particular are worried about extra costs on top of the fine and are intimidated from appealing even if they are in the right." The Minister will have a fresh look at this.

(iii) Flexibility. Most London Councils, including Richmond do take into account mitigating factors for first offenders. But some, including Hounslow, refuse on principle to make exceptions. Vincent Cable cited another case of a Twickenham resident with throat cancer visiting the West Middlesex who had clearly been fined in error, but Hounslow council refused to consider an exception.

(iv) Bailiffs. Vincent Cable expressed alarm at the increasing resort to bailiffs in cases where fines were overdue: "clearly there are some people who won't pay and court action is justified. But many people are getting bailiff visits as a result of misunderstandings or wrong identity on parking charges - now that bailiffs are being empowered by the government to use force, that is potentially very serious."