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West End | News | Parking fines | Westminster Council | Paul Dimoldenberg | CCTV | City Hall | Cash | Residents
Parking fines a ‘council cash machine’
PARKING chiefs are under fire for the use of CCTV cameras to rack up driving fines.
Labour councillors have condemned the practice – which brings in around £5 million a year in fines – claiming residents are being used as a “cash machine” by the council.
They say hundreds of residents are getting stung with £100 tickets for dropping off passengers and stopping outside shops – and that they are often completely unaware they are breaking the law.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour group at City Hall, said: “Westminster residents are fed up of being used like a cash machine by the Conservatives. The council’s reputation for using parking fines as a money-grabbing venture is growing day by day.”
He added: “People do not believe they should be fined for a couple of minutes’ stop outside a shop or to drop off a passenger. With parking wardens you could see whether the coast was clear. With cameras you always get caught. As a non-driver myself I have no personal axe to grind but I can sympathise with those who do drive and are just trying to get round Westminster and live a normal everyday life.”
In 2006/07 the council collected £38 million in parking fines – the largest amount in the country. It is estimated the borough’s 250 CCTV cameras will haul in £5 million in 2008/09.
Cllr Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for environment and transportation, said: “But we know that there is public concern about the use of CCTV to enforce parking and as I announced at our recent Parking Summit we are taking a close look at this issue again and will report our findings before deciding how best to proceed.” |
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