The most recent statistics revealed that 890,000 parking tickets are being issued by councils across the UK each and every month, which is equivalent to 1,200 an hour.
Unsurprisingly it is a London Borough at the top of the list. According to figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request, parking wardens in the City of Westminster are the busiest in the country, handing out an average of 1,269 parking fines a day.
FTA’s own PCN Survey in 2012 revealed a 50% leap in the number of PCNs being issued in London, which has led the FTA to call on its members to train their drivers in identifying PCN hotspots. The association is also helping members by offering a PCN Administration Support service along with a range of compliance and support materials to help members manage their PCNs including a Compliance Guide, Driver Card and a Delivery Assessment Guide, which was written with the co-operation of a Westminster Council official and provides valuable help and advice for commercial vehicle operators.
Natalie Chapman, FTA’s head of policy for London, said: ‘FTA is working with its members to help them better manage their PCNs through identifying hotspots and improving driver training. A well-targeted and intelligent approach to appealing unfair PCNs could save some companies hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. However, in some locations there is simply nowhere for drivers to stop to make deliveries, therefore commercial vehicle operators have grown smarter when dealing with the problems of making deliveries in the unfriendly roadside environment of central London.’
Chapman added: ‘The findings of the FTA survey suggest that there is a need for them to improve their understanding of how certain parking restrictions apply.’
