80,000 fines for Wolverhampton's bad drivers
Almost 80,000 parking and bus lane fines have been issued by Wolverhampton council since 2015 according to a new report.
The council outsources its parking and bus lane control to global parking giants APCOA, which issues tickets on its behalf.
In 2015/16 the company issued a staggering 79,860 tickets, including both parking and bus lane fines in the city.
The council has three levels of fines. For those who overstay on pay and display car parks, the fine is £50, reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days.
People who drive in bus lanes face fines of £60, which are reduced to £30 if paid promptly. Those who park on double yellow lines face £70 fines, reduced to £35.
The estimated total of the fines issued is thought to be more than £2 million, before the APCOA costs are applied. It is not known what proportion of the money eventually ends up in council coffers.
The council's contract with the external company is due to end in February 2019, though it is likely to be extended for a further two years.
A council spokesman said: "We have a duty to enforce the law and keep the city moving by tackling illegal parking which causes congestion, safety issues and inconvenience for other road users, pedestrians, schools and businesses.
"In terms of bus lane enforcement, the number of penalties is falling month on month because people know that the best way to avoid getting a ticket is to obey the law.
"Our system is fair, all penalties are checked thoroughly before tickets are issued and there is a clear appeals process.
"Income raised from enforcement is used to cover the costs of the service including car park maintenance and security and any surplus is reinvested into highways improvements."
The figures were released following a Freedom of Information request by the Express & Star.
A report released in June this year showed the top ten spots for parking tickets in Wolverhampton.
One of the streets saw 971 fines handed out in a single year. The city centre dominated the list for the roads where the most penalty charges were handed out in 2015/16, with Red Lion Street the worst with 971, followed by 797 in Cleveland Street and 742 in Waterloo Road.
The council issues 790 general parking residents' permits, with an additional 1,700 given out for people who live near Molineux on Wolves' match days.
