Disbelief at 'absurd' parking policies

Anger over "draconian" London parking enforcement in the capital mounted today as local councils were accused of being "totally out of step" with the wishes of most Londoners.

This follows the case of a woman fined by Westminster City Council in what motoring organisations describe as "unreal" circumstances.

Annabelle Charbit left her car parked legally outside her home but had to pay £280 to retrieve it from the pound after the residents' space was turned into a loading bay while she was away on holiday.

Despite appealing to the council she was told it was her fault: residents had a duty to check their spaces every morning to ensure they were not being turned into loading bays, the council informed her.

Motoring organisations said it demonstrated the "absurd" approach adopted by parking contractors working for London councils. They want an urgent review of enforcement.

They said it reflected the growing importance of revenue over commonsense in parking policy although this is denied by parking chiefs.

The AA attacked councils, including Westminster, for relying on strict interpretation of the law instead of treating residents and other motorists as "customers".

"They know the law is on their side so they stick to the technicalities instead of using discretion," said Paul Watters of the AA.

The AA called on Westminster and the Association of London Government - the body which oversees London parking - to review guidance to parking attendants, urging them to use more discretion.

"Even when a motorist makes an honest mistake the entire weight of the law comes down on their heads and it is out of all proportion to the problem," said Mr Watters.

Parking campaigner John Squires agreed but said councils were increasingly under pressure from demand for road space and from the poor calibre of worker often attracted to parking enforcement.

"Frequently a ticket could be stopped early on if the parking contractor on the other end of the phone reacted to what a motorist tells them," said Mr Squires.

"Unfortunately they don't have sufficient training or authority. It is easier to reject the claim than be accused of excusing motorists unnecessarily."

Kevin Delaney of the RAC Foundation, added: "Councils introduce parking regimes but hand them to jobsworths who could not care less."

Mr Watters says one reason for the surge in "tenuous" parking tickets was councils' increasing reluctance to act as a first line of appeal. "Instead of listening to drivers they now push any element of appeal on to the adjudication service. It is high time we had new guidance. Until then don't expect an inkling of sympathy for your misdemeanour," said Mr Watters.

Charles Cronin, Westminster council cabinet member for Transport, said he realised there was a " deficiency" in the council's policy following the case of the £280 fine.

"If someone goes away for two weeks or more it is clearly very difficult for them to check their car.

"I am now looking at different measures which will help ameliorate this, possibly even providing two weeks' free parking at a car park."

Mr Cronin said that in the case of Annabelle Charbit her car had to be removed for cabling work and that seven days' notice had been given by attaching a notice to signs at the residents' parking bay. It was however difficult for operatives to deviate from official council policy because it was "written in black and white".

Nick Lester, chairman of the ALG's Transport and Environment Committee, said it was misleading to draw conclusions from a small number of examples which inflamed public opinion.

"The Parking Appeals Service hears 40,000 cases a year and there are bound to be a small percentage of decisions motorists don't like.

"The ratio of cases rejected - 57 per cent are won by motorists - has not changed over the years." Mr Lester said it was unwise to give parking attendants more discretion as it exposed them to attack and opened up the possibility of fraud. "We are not seeing an increase in the rate of appeals," he said.

The "draconian" approach to parking enforcement is demonstrated in several recent cases.

Victoria Hildreth ended up with a £279 parking fine because a warden in Twickenham couldn't see the outline of a residents' bay for leaves.

Hardware shop boss Philip Peters was one of two motorists whose cars were lifted off the road for double yellow lines to be painted, before they were put back and ticketed.

After Sylvia Salvendy, 34, collapsed unconscious at a Harley Street clinic, she was told by doctors to leave her car outside. She was issued with an £80 parking ticket by a warden despite medical staff telling him she was too ill to drive.

The Mayor plans to disrupt traffic on outer-London roads in a "desperate bid" to make congestion charging work, experts claimed today.

In a strongly worded attack on the scheme, the AA said "thousands" of drivers in outer London would have to suffer for the scheme to be a success in the centre.

By David Williams, Evening Standard, 10/10/08