Author Topic: Cash-grabbing councils told to end war on motorists  (Read 1429 times)

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Offline Web Admin

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Cash-grabbing councils told to end war on motorists
« on: 17 March, 2014, 02:52:42 PM »
Cash-grabbing councils told to end war on motorists

MONEY-grabbing, over-zealous councils are to be targeted in a crackdown on parking fines.

Local authorities will be warned today to stop treating drivers like “the enemy”.

Eric Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, intends to press ahead with measures including banning the Big Brother-style use of cameras for parking enforcement.

The Government thinks some councils over-use cameras to deal with situations better handled by a traffic warden and that they could undermine public acceptance of their limited use.

There are also concerns that when drivers get their ticket through the post weeks after the alleged offence they are denied a chance to scrutinise their parking spot at the time.

Mr Pickles wants to make councils freeze parking penalties to encourage appeals and give new rights to demand a review of double yellow lines.

He wants to do away with processes said to encourage innocent drivers to admit parking offences rather than appeal, for fear of losing their prompt payment fine discount, and end over-aggressive action by bailiffs to recover unpaid fines.

Mr Pickles, who will announce the plans before Easter, says a better system would help revive town centres.

The proposals were put out for consultation last year.

Tickets and fines have escalated in recent years despite Government calls for councils to stop persecuting drivers. TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: “Drivers already stung by excessive motoring taxes will feel like they are being treated as cash cows.

“Too often parking fines are used as a revenue-raiser rather than as a method of discouraging poor or dangerous parking.”

The Local Government Association said the average motorist paid 30 times more in central government charges and tax than to councils for parking.

A spokesman for the LGA added: “The reality is that income from charges and fines is spent on running parking services and any surplus goes on essential transport projects such as bringing our dilapidated road network up to scratch and providing subsidised bus travel for children or elderly residents.”


http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/465256/Cash-grabbing-councils-told-to-end-war-on-motorists

Offline «THÖMÅS®©™»

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Re: Cash-grabbing councils told to end war on motorists
« Reply #1 on: 20 March, 2014, 04:39:03 AM »
It's not "enforcement", it's "extortionate"!
It's not "enforcement", it's "extortionate"!

Offline Ewan Hoosami

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  • Veni, Vidi, $chunti. I came, I saw, I assisted.
Re: Cash-grabbing councils told to end war on motorists
« Reply #2 on: 20 March, 2014, 09:00:44 AM »
The spokesweasels are still bleating in vain. I suspect their representations are going to be rejected out of hand.
Appealing to the council is like playing chess with a pigeon. You might be a chess grand master but the pigeon will always knock all the pieces over, shit on the board and then strut around triumphantly.

 


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