Ten Minute Leeway rule for Drivers Parking their Cars

Good news for drivers in the UK that have exceeded the limit for council owned street bays and car parks is that they will be allowed 10 minutes extra of parking time before being fined. Eric

Pickles, the Secretary for Communities revealed that this measure is in light of several complaints by motorists returning to their vehicles moments after their ticket expires, only to be greeted with a fine. In terms of numbers, the total amount paid out by drivers in penalties in 2013-2014 was a whopping £350 million. At a time when motorists are getting car insurance hikes come renewal time, this is a welcome relief for UK motorists.

There have been other changes announced by the government with regards to drivers, such as the limited use of CCTV cameras responsible to fine motorists parked in bus lanes and other such areas. In addition, drivers will also not be fined when parking meters and ticket machines are out of order. Councils will also receive notices that restrict them from generating profits from money collected from parking fines, and parking adjudicators will be provided with a new set of powers that will hold councils to account.

Local businesses and residents will also be eligible to submit a petition to review parking in their area. Mr. Pickles added that for a long time, parking laws have made law abiding citizens feel like criminals and resulted in extensive damage to businesses and shops. He further said that extreme parking laws cause long term damage to councils and costs them further as well, these new measures are designed to make parking more efficient and stress free.

At the moment, these new measures have passed all levels in the House of Lords and Commons, and they could be approved within weeks once finally approved. If you do get a council parking ticket that you feel is unfair, here are a few ways to fight it:

Research indicates that 50% of roughly 70,000 motorists who appealed their council parking fines in 2013 2014 won. Generally, you pay just half the price if the fine is paid within 14 days. Even if the appeal is not successful, you can pay half the price in 14 days after rejection, but this is not guaranteed. To better your chances, it is a good idea to mention in your appeal letter that the fine should be put on hold.

The success rate is 50% if you make it all the way to the final independent tribunal stage. When faced with an unjustified council parking fine, the first and foremost task is to gather evidence to increase your chances of winning the appeal. If your car is not there when you get back, you first of course have to figure out if it’s been towed or stolen. To do this, get in touch with the car park owners or local police. Next, you should try and take photographs of the scene to include unclear road markings; unclear road signs lack of signs/markings, and of course your car. With all this evidence, you then stand the best chance you have of overturning the fine.