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The blight of ‘bogus’ fines
PARKING wardens in Westminster are more likely to give drivers a bogus ticket than anywhere else in London.
Figures released by London Councils shows 88 per cent of drivers contesting parking fines won their appeals.
The statistics follow last year’s scolding of the council by the Local Government Ombudsman are a computing error saw council bailiffs mistakenly sent to drivers’ homes.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour Group, said: “These figures are truly dreadful and only serve to fuel the suspicion that Westminster’s parking service is just a money-making racket with drivers increasingly seen as easy pickings.
How can the council justify losing such a massive proportion of appeals?
“There needs to be a full inquiry so that drivers can feel confident that they are not simply emptying their wallets into the Council’s coffers for no good reason.”
Councillor Danny Chalkley, transport supremo in the council, said: “While the number of tickets issued will always vary year on year, we must be honest with ourselves and recognise why we lost more appeals. We believe that this was because last year we were often too rigid when considering motorists’ appeals and applying the strict letter of the law, rather than taking due consideration of an individual’s circumstances.”
Westminster issued 823,831 parking tickets in 2006/07. This compares with 715,000 in 2005/06. |
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