Motorists slapped with 35 tickets a day in Gloucester
PARKING tickets are being slapped on more than 35 windscreens a day in Gloucester.
Figures from the city council show they are raking in, on average, £715.68 a day in fines.
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The hot spots where motorists are most likely to get dished out a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) have also been revealed to The Citizen in a Freedom of Information request.
Great Western Road, near the hospital, tops the list with a whopping 1,269 tickets issued there during an eight month period - almost a sixth of the total.
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City council leader Paul James said the figure was "quite surprising" but could be due to new Pay and Display machines which were installed there a year ago.
He also pointed out the hospital carpark was "far more expensive" than council ones so people may be parking on the street to trying and avoid charges.
He said: "We certainly don't take any pleasure in dishing out parking fines.
"Money from on-street fines goes to the county and has to be spent on transport programs so we see no financial benefit.
"But we clearly need to enforce otherwise we would get a free for all and roads blocked up.
"But I would like to see the amount of tickets on a downward trend."
Eastgate Street was the road with the next highest number of tickets handed out during the eight month period – 373 in total.
The council has about seven contracted employees patrolling the streets day-to-day looking for rule breakers.
Between April 1 and November 30, 8,560 tickets were issued and £171,764 was made in fines.
Since April the council has spent £360,000 on patrols and £1,585,610 running and maintaining carparks.
Longsmith Street is the car park, as opposed to on-street parking, where most people are found breaking the rules the most often with 603 tickets issued there.
Councillor James said: "We don't make a huge profit from carparking fines because there are a lot of costs associated with running car parks.
"If everybody went along with the rules we wouldn't need enforcement."
Comments
by MrGarnet
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 10:36PM
“"Parking should be free, we pay road tax and get nowt back in return, I have not seen my £220.00 worth for the 4x4 and the £165 for the truck spent on the roads in Gloucestershire. I think we should become more like North Yorkshire with only one set of fixed speed cameras, 2 mobile speed camera vans and very minimal parking charges unless you are in york which are not as outrageous as Gloucestershire!! Seems to me that the south as a rule i.e. more tory **** areas tend to be rip off areas... Anyway is it not time that Paul James did some proper work like making the highways agency do some repairs to the dyer roads, or I will be sending in a second claim for tracking being reset on my Pajero! Thank god im back in Yorkshire on friday, fewer potholes, fewer speed cameras, cheaper parking, better area..."
Nice rant but lieboure intro the "war on motorists" But don't let that fact get in front of your "information"! LOL!”
by L804XDG
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 6:08PM
“Parking should be free, we pay road tax and get nowt back in return, I have not seen my £220.00 worth for the 4x4 and the £165 for the truck spent on the roads in Gloucestershire. I think we should become more like North Yorkshire with only one set of fixed speed cameras, 2 mobile speed camera vans and very minimal parking charges unless you are in york which are not as outrageous as Gloucestershire!! Seems to me that the south as a rule i.e. more tory **** areas tend to be rip off areas... Anyway is it not time that Paul James did some proper work like making the highways agency do some repairs to the dyer roads, or I will be sending in a second claim for tracking being reset on my Pajero! Thank god im back in Yorkshire on friday, fewer potholes, fewer speed cameras, cheaper parking, better area...”
by FreeRadical1
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 6:04PM
“Lecorche, the hospital has nothing to do with either council, as far as I know. It's controlled by an NHS trust that gets its funding from central government. I agree that Vinci are parasites, but you're complaining to the wrong person. Perhaps you could go and explain your feelings to Richard Graham, who is supposed to be representing the citizens of Gloucester at Westminster.”
by Matt1006
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 5:37PM
“In other words, there are plenty of drivers in Gloucester who think they can park where they like, can't park properly, or are bad time keepers. Or a combination of the above options. Not just Gloucester - happens nationwide.
It's not rocket science. Park legally, and you don't get a ticket. Park not in accordance with the rules & regs in that particular location, and you risk getting a ticket. If in doubt, read the final line of the article - says it all.
The overwhelming majority of the tickets issued will have been fully justified. Perhaps TiG could follow this article up to establish how many of these tickets were challenged, and how many of those challenges were then successful, and how many were rejected by the Council.”
by GlostarRugar
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 12:52PM
“Leorche, the thing to realise is that there is no such thing as a "free" parking space. Someone has to pay for it. It's either from taxes or small charges to park. I park in Bruton way everyday. I get the whole day for £3! Absolute bargain!”
by Lecorche
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 10:30AM
“Well,Mr.James. If there was a modicum of FREE parking you'd most likely not have to shed your crocodile tears or wring your Tory hands over this.
Please do tell us why Vinci got to control Great Western Road.
Surely it belong to the County Council i.e. US.
Why are you not making yourself a pain in the farce by fighting the piracy that gets money from the sick who attend a hospital that THEY have paid for?
Of course,if Council Car Parks had the first hour free....ah! Forget it! You don't have a clue.”