Parking with one wheel on the pavement, illegally in a disabled spot and in resident-only spaces - these are just a handful of offences that will see drivers in Wolverhampton slapped with a £70 penalty from April.
The Express & Star can today reveal 15 offences have been deemed worth the higher fine, while eight will cost motorists £50 under the new two-tier scheme agreed by the city council on Tuesday.
The new system, which is sure to add to the £500,000 the authority has collected so far in parking fines in Wolverhampton, has been criticised for being too harsh on motorists with the penalties it imposes.
The list of parking offences has been described as “a smoke screen” by the opposing Tory group because the majority of parking contraventions will see motorists paying the top-rate fine.
Parking on yellow lines, in a suspended bay, not in a designated parking area, in a special enforcement area, on a taxi rank, or on the red route illegally, carry the hefty £70 penalty.
Parking up in bus stops, in a restricted area during school time, across two carriages, or on zigzags and pedestrian crossings also attract the top-rate fine.
The authority say anyone handed the fines is entitled to a 50 per cent discount as long as they pay up within two weeks.
Staying in car parks too long or not paying at all carries £50 fines, as does re-parking illegally in short stay bays and parking with the engine running where prohibited.
Councillor Peter Bilson, deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration, said: “There has to be a benchmark. If people believe they have been unfairly treated, they can appeal.”
But Councillor Neville Patten, Tory spokesman for transport, said: “When this new two tier-system was brought in, we were told it would punish the most serious offences, but that’s a smokescreen because almost two thirds of driving offences carry £70 fines.”
Offences that carry a £70 fine include:
- Parking on a restricted street - single or double yellow lines
- Parking or unloading on a restricted street where a loading ban is in force
- Parking in a special enforcement area more than 50cms from the edge of a carriageway
- Parking in a disabled person’s parking place without displaying badge
- Parking on a taxi rank
- Stopping when prohibited
- Parking on a bus stop
- Stopping in a restricted area outside a school during term time
- Offences that carry a £50 fine:
- Parking after the expiry of paid-for time
- Parking without displaying a valid pay and display ticket
- Parking with additional payment made to extend the stay beyond the expiry of the originally purchased
- Parking in a place not designated for that vehicle
- Not parking correctly within the markings of a place or bay
- Parking for longer than permitted
By Council Reporter Tom Edwards
16 Comments
Illegally parking in a disabled spot should be a £200 fine. Hit the selfish, lazy so and so’s who abuse these spaces hard in the pocket.
It’s really easy – know the Highway Code, don’t break the law and you won’t get a ticket. Is that so difficult for some people?
Can we fine the idiots who take up two spaces on car parks because they can’t park properly? I’m not on about big vans but cars!
10/10 Jimmi, well said, but clamp the cars as well and make them wait for the release. That would stop them
Whilst parking in a disabled bay is worthy of a fine, some of the other parking offences targeted by these very high penalties are further evidence of the governments’ war against drivers.
We see almost daily another fine, additional costs, lower speed limits, restricted roads, and ever more spin against drivers. Our freedom of movement is being gradually eroded and the government with its allies in local councils are the perpetrators.
Glad to see pavement parking will be penalised - about time. This is one anti-social motoring practice that has never been seriously tackled despite the inconvenience and danger it causes pedestrians, particularly those with wheelchairs, pushchairs or who are partially sighted.
Peter, The car is personal transport and any attempt to restrict this liberty is bound to be met with hostility.
We all have the choice to speed and break the rules but too many drivers refuse to accept the consequences when they’re caught - whether that be overstaying on a meter or mowing down a pedestrian due to excessive speed.
What I do object to is revenue raising and seeing no improvement in congestion or public transport. Is there any proof that traffic in Wolverhampton moves any more freely since decriminalisation? I suspect not - more money for nothing. It will be interesting to see the council’s figures when the new fines come in.
If it is a war on drivers than I am in favour.
I am fed up having to walk in the road because so many selfish motorists park on the pavements.
About time. I popped to Merry Hell the other day. Out of 10 disabled spaces, only 3 displayed badges.
Always seems to be the same type of cars too…..but I don’t want to sterotype!
70 quid is a joke for parking in a disabled bay. Where I live in St Catharines, Ontario the fine is $300 which is around 150 quid, and it should be more!
Well, I dont drive into Wolverhampton very often as I consider its Council is waging a war on motorists, but these further parking fines will deter me even further from visiting the place.
Disgusted
Well pointed out peter, it seems to be a load of backdoor policies that will make driving socially unacceptable and too expensive for a majority of people. I do agree with the fines for parking on disabled spots as mainly its idleness that is the main cause.
No problem with those fines.
Oarking on the pavement restricts pushchair access and often leads to people with puschairs having to go into the road to get around a car.
It’s pointless too,as more often than not there’s not enough room for two cars to pass anyway,so the parked car may as well be correctly parked on the road.
glad to see this is going to happen. why do people park in bus stops anyway ? they force busses to block the road to collect passangers and as for disabled parking bays i agree with jeffb clamp them dont bother fining them. they will just do it again a clamp will get very costly and take half the day to get released. woo hoo
Here’s a novel idea… please bear with me for a moment, as I know it sounds a little ‘out there’.
How’s about people obey the rules of the road?
Won’t get fined for anything by doing that you know.
Disabled space fines no problem there.
But what about providing enough parking spaces? They could at least narrow the path down the stafford road between three tuns and bee lane and put in parking bays for visitors to relatives.
I believe its only a matter of time before some of the more dicatorship rules of this council are destroyed by the european of human rights/
There are too many parking spaces. If there were less people would take other options to get into town and make life safer for vulnerable road users.