Morning:
14°c
Rethink on 'confusing' yellow lines that earned £330,000 for council
David Williams, Motoring Editor07.10.09
Town hall bosses are to reconsider "confusing" parking restrictions after issuing thousands of fines to drivers.
Westminster council started enforcing the restructions in February after putting single yellow lines on "dropped kerbs", parts of pavements which have been rebuilt to make it easier for parents with prams or wheelchair users to cross roads.
Anyone who parks on the yellow lines faces a fine at any time of day or night.
But parking campaigners claim drivers easily confuse them with other single yellow lines in many parts of Westminster, which forbid parking from Monday to Friday or Saturday from 8.30am to 6.30pm.
The council says 5,500 people have been issued with £120 fines for parking on the lines since February - raising between £330,000 and £660,000 as payment within 14days means the fine is halved.
Westminster said it was looking at using double yellow lines instead. A trial, in the Regent's Park area, will take three to six months, after which a decision will be made on whether to introduce the scheme throughout the borough.
Parking campaigner Paul Pearson said: "Clearly, motorists are confused by the scheme. When I did a survey in February on a Sunday every dropped kerb with a double yellow line was free and every one with a single line was obstructed. As it stands, this is bad for wheelchair users, bad for motorists and a big moneyspinner for Westminster." Mr Pearson called on the council to change its roadmarkings swiftly.
Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for city management, said: "We are in the process of trialling double yellow lines to reinforce the message that these vital access points should be kept clear at all times."
Solicitor Ben Raynor said the confusion about single yellow lines next to dropped kerbs extended beyond Westminster. The 36-year-old was fined £120 in Camden after thinking he could park off Tottenham Court Road on a Sunday when normal single yellow line restrictions are not in force.
Mr Raynor, of Belsize Park, said councils were exploiting motorists by making them think parking at certain times was allowed. He said: "Any reasonable person exercising reasonable judgment could easily find themselves in that situation." He finally paid a reduced fine of £60 after losing an appeal.
A spokesman for Camden council said: "Areas marked by a single yellow line have clear signage indicating the particular restrictions. Parking in front of a dropped kerb is prohibited as it prevents access to a premises or could be dangerous."
Reader views (11)
Summary of email to Secretary of State for Transport:
The apparent rationale for the dropped kerb legislation (SI 2009/1116) is in an explanatory memorandum on the DfT website:
"As far as the Department is aware, the “no signs” regime in respect of Greater London is working well whilst at the same time contributing to the de-cluttering of traffic signs and providing savings in costs to the authorities in relation to provision of signage for enforcement purposes. The policy intention is to establish consistency for the enforcement of dropped kerbs...which these regulations will help to achieve."
Please consider the responses from the public to the article in the London Evening Standard; people are outraged.
The key issue is the fair implentation of SI 2009/1116 - local authorities are required, pursuant to the principle set out in R -v- The Secretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Doody, to exercise administrative powers in a manner which is fair in all the circumstances.
To do so, we suggest double yellow lines be introduced at those dropped kerbs designed to facilitate pedestrian access. This will not lead to the cluttering of signs. Your department must advise local authorities now not to issue further PCNs in these circumstances and resolve the matter by the implementation of double yellow lines.
What is the DfT going to do about this? If I, as a busy City lawyer, and other members of the public can find time to address this, your dept should.
- Ben Raynor, London, England
About usual. Single yellow lines are not clear at the best of times. If they want 'No Parking at any time' they should make it clear with double yellow lines.
Or would that cost too much to put down?
- Peter C-H, London, UK
Westminster no doubt are probably right now hard at work trying to think of new ways to confuse us, and take even more money from innocent unaware motorists
- Mr S.Port, London
There is one thing that Cllr Danny Chalkley is very good at, and that's milking motorists for their hard earned money!
I really wouldn't be surprised if the single yellows were painted instead of double yellows just so more revenue can be raised by fining motorist.
Dropped kerbs are extremely important for disabled people and Chalkley needs to understand that some things in life are more important than money, like the right for people with disabilities to move freely around London.
- Edward Brooks, Belgravia, London, UK
I have been caught ! I thought it was perfectly legal to park on a single yellow line in Westminster after 6.30 p.m. I was shocked to find that I was fined for doing so. I admit there was a dropped kerb but thought the SINGLE YELLOW LINE meant it was ok to park after 6.30 as it is everywhere else. I went back the following days and saw that this very same spot was a HUGE money making scheme for Westminster council as every day aonother car driver got fined for parking there. It is obvious that this dropped kerb is only there for one reason alone, to make lots and lots of money for the council. This is like a trap and I am very pleased that the evening Standard has noticed this ! Westninster council will do anything to get money form motorists and bikers, even if it means playing dirty.
- Thierry, Balham, London
Nothing angers me more than sly, deceptive, daylight robbery. I can just imagine Chalkley and Co sitting around a table chuckling as they brain-stormed and came up with, "dropped kerb" and "motorcycle" parking fines. Brilliant.
- Mike, London
Another ay for Chalkley to raise money. Lets face it, he's messed up so much this year he has to get money from somewhere and this is just one of his schemes. Like allowing the public to park in residents bays during the week, it's all about generating cash and nothing about transport.
- Gary, Essex
It is somewhat anti-social to block dropped curbs. Something I've experienced in the past with both prams and wheelchairs. What's even sadder is that as drivers we have become so reliant on the use of regulations - whether for parking or driving - that commonsense and social awareness have been consigned to the dustbin.
- Matt, London
Another fine example of the wonderfully creative way that Councillor Danny Chalkley has devised to raise revenue from the motorist. Oh well I suppose he needs some way to refinance the money he lost in the CCTV fiasco.
- Kitebuggydad, Stalinist Sate of Westminster
Westminster are just greedy money grabbing bunch of...
Time to take parking policy away from greedy local councils and give it to someone responsible to the electorate.
- Chris, London
This policy was not "confusing" enough to stop the council ripping-off Joe Public to the tune of £330,000.00.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
