City Councils Lose Over £40m In Parking Ticket Fines Over Lockdown
City Councils have lost out on more than £40 million in parking fines over the course of lockdown, new figures have revealed…
City Councils Lose Out On Parking Fines
The national lockdown ravaged the nation’s economy, putting pressure on businesses of all sizes. But local authorities have also been hit. New figures have revealed that city councils lost out on more than £40 million in parking fines alone. Between April and June, 19 of the country’s largest cities (including London) made £16.6 million from parking-related fines. That’s down from £55.7 million over the same period in 2019. For perspective, that’s a decline of 70.8%.
When London is taken out the equation, the situation appears even bleaker for city councils. In 2019, 18 cities accumulated £10.1 million. Over the same period in 2020, this declined by 80.9% falling to £1.7 million. The data was acquired via a series of Freedom of Information requests made by the leasing service provider LeaseFetcher.
Will Craig, founder of LeaseFetcher, commented on the figures. He said, “nobody likes a parking ticket, and if anything good has come of lockdown, it’s that motorists have saved a staggering amount of cash on PCNs”. He added, “it’s not so good for the councils, but they are already starting to claw their way back up to pre-lockdown income levels now that restrictions have eased”.
A Double-Edged Sword
Craig’s analysis may seem optimistic for drivers, but it’s not so good for residents and tax payers. The reality is that many local councils have had budgets cut over recent years; especially when it comes to road maintenance and infrastructure. The money that’s traditionally raised via parking fines is, as you might expect, used for all sorts of public spending. With tens of millions lost out on, alternative sources of income will need to be found or further cuts made. There’s even the possibly that some authorities may simply increase fines.
Needless to say, the best way to avoid a parking fine is to legally park your vehicle and to follow instructions on car parks. It’s also worth noting that new guidelines are being introduced to protect motorists from over-zealous private parking firms.
Lost Parking Fine Income By Council
| City | Lost PCN income (£) | Lost PCN income (%) |
| Glasgow | £1,209,791.71 | 88.9 percent |
| Brighton | £1,044,644.06 | 70.9 percent |
| Leeds | £937,964.27 | 95.1 percent |
| Birmingham | £889,516.81 | 68.1 percent |
| Bristol | £703,163.63 | 82.8 percent |
| Leicester | £553,890.00 | 99.2 percent |
| Cardiff | £512,738.00 | 98.6 percent |
| Newcastle | £488,882.45 | 77.6 percent |
| Sheffield | £423,519.87 | 93 percent |
| Bradford | £349,394.77 | 79 percent |
| Coventry | £306,277.36 | 94.3 percent |
| Plymouth | £287,120.64 | 76.8 percent |
| Milton Keynes | £182,108.59 | 79.2 percent |
| Wakefield | £144,576.44 | 85.7 percent |
| Walsall | £105,765.66 | 70 percent |
| Dudley | £94,752.62 | 88.1 percent |
| Doncaster | £83,289.61 | 87.9 percent |
| Rotherham | £65,151.00 | 78.4 percent |
Drivers Are At Risk Of Paying A Loyalty Tax On Their Car Insurance – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/drivers-are-at-risk-of-paying-a-loyalty-tax-on-their-car-insurance/
New Car Registrations Were Down By 5.8% In August – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/new-car-registrations-were-down-by-5-8-in-august/
