'Confusing' rules mean bank holiday fines for parking on red routes

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Most boroughs let motorists park free on single yellow lines and in payanddisplay bays on public holidays but Transport for London enforces its 350 miles of red routes as usual, so many drivers are given a £120 penalty charge notice for parking on them.

On New Year's Day nearly 1,000 people were fined this way but on a normal working day, Tuesday 18 December, 664 people were fined for the same offence.

"People are not breaking the law intentionally, they are being caught out by rules," said campaigner Paul Pearson of penaltychargenotice.co.uk.

"It is confusing." He added: "The policy deters people from visiting London. Why can't Ken Livingstone show a little compassion to families taking their children out in London for a public holiday treat? The TfL website is not clear. Either they should stop enforcing on public holidays or include additional warnings on their signs."

AA president Edmund King said: "If red routes allow parking on a Sunday, there is no reason why parking should not be allowed on a bank holiday when traffic flow is similar."

Mr Pearson said a TfL official had told him it would "consider" amending its website to show that no dispensation is given to motorists on public holidays.

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "London's Red Routes are some of the capital's busiest roads and they remain busy on bank holidays. Motorists should ensure they read the signage. Any exemptions are clearly sign posted."