London Councils Transport and Environment Committee has started a consultation with Londoners on the level of penalty charges for parking and traffic contraventions on roads controlled by all London boroughs, including the City of London.
The collective of councils, which includes Ealing Council, is asking residents and businesses their views on a number of plans and ideas they have which includes having one charging band across London instead of two which has been operating since 2011.
Ealing is in Band A along with neighbouring borough Brent as well as City of Westminster which is more expensive than Band B which includes Ealing neighbours Hillingdon, Harrow and Richmond.
In both Band A and Band B there are also two penalty levels, known as Higher level and Lower level which depend on the type of contravention
In a band A area, the Higher Level is £130 and the Lower Level is £80. In Band B, the Higher Level in £110 and the Lower Level is £60.
London Councils are also proposing to increase the fees by over 50% for vehicle clamping, removal, storage, and disposal which they say has been the same since 2007.
The body of councils said in a statement that it: “has not reviewed parking, bus lane and moving traffic penalty charges since 2010 and many of the current charges and additional fees have not changed since 2007.”
It added: “The number of PCNs issued in London has increased by 50% over the last 12 years and London boroughs are concerned that the current penalty charge levels are not high enough to encourage compliance and act as a deterrent. There are many examples of people choosing to park where they are not allowed to despite knowing they will receive a penalty charge.”
London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee is responsible for setting these parking and traffic enforcement charges, fees and rates on borough roads:
- Penalties for parking contraventions (under the Traffic Management Act 2004)
- Penalties for bus lane contraventions (under the London Local Authorities Act 1996)
- Penalties for minor moving traffic contraventions such as one-way streets, banned turns and yellow box junctions (under the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003)
- Fees for releasing vehicles from clamps and pounds
- Fees for vehicle storage and disposal
- Discount rate for early payment of a penalty charge
- Surcharge rate for an unpaid penalty charge
The consultation lasts until 23 October 2023 and London Councils says it will then analyse the results for a London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee on 7 December 2023.
Mayor Philip Glanville, London Councils executive member for Climate Change, Transport and Environment said: “London boroughs are committed to making our roads safe and accessible for everyone. By effectively managing parking and traffic we can incentivise people to drive and park safely, protect access, crossing and junctions, and increase active travel such as walking, cycling and rented e-scooter use. We can also improve bus prioritisation, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.”
He added: “Today’s consultation is a crucial part of the Transport and Environment Committee’s decision-making process on penalty charge levels and additional fees, and anyone who uses London’s roads can have their say on the new proposals. We are dedicated to ensuring the plans don’t negatively impact lower income and more vulnerable people and welcome all input into this consultation.”
To take part in the consultation, click here.
