Parking law changes will see larger fines and vehicles impounded over Low Emission Zone breaches
Drivers will have to pay a hefty fee to release their vehicle from the impound
GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL
A major UK city has unveiled new parking measures which will see vehicles impounded for repeatedly breaking the law.
The stricter rules rolled out by Glasgow City Council come after more drivers have refused to pay motoring fees on time, which include parking and Low Emission Zone breaches.
Under the new changes, drivers who have three or more unpaid parking fines can have their vehicle taken to the impound where they will need to pay a hefty fine to recover it.
Last year, Glasgow recorded over 1,800 vehicles with three or more unpaid penalty charges notices for ignoring parking rules.
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Fines to be increased to £100 from £60
PACouncil documents explaining the new measures stated: “Enforcement of parking, bus lane, and Low Emission Zone violations plays a pivotal role in ensuring the functionality of the city and aligns with the objectives outlined in our Transport Strategy framework.
“We were informed that there appears to be a link between multiple parking offences and criminal activity and anti-social behaviour so sharing this information may also improve the safety of our communities.
“We will continue a dialogue on this to find out if it has the ability to assist with the persistent evaders we have on our system.”
The council explained that vehicles with three or more unpaid fines will be instantly flagged to parking attendants and trigger a notification to take the vehicle away.
There will be a £150 release fee that needs to be paid to recover the vehicle along with the outstanding fines and a £20 daily storage charge in a bid to deter any future delayed payments.
To help start the scheme, the council has employed 35 more parking attendants and a new vehicle removal unit.
Councillor Angus Millar said: "Parking regulations are in place to keep the network moving and protect vulnerable road users from harm. The vast majority of people see the sense in sticking to these rules, but there is a selfish minority that believe they can do as they please on the road network.”
He added that receiving a penalty charge notice “should send a clear message on how cars should be parked”.
As a result of more drivers ignoring parking rules on a consistent basis, the council highlighted how "stiffer action will be taken".
Miller commented: "Under this new system, anyone who accumulates three more or fines will have to pay several hundred pounds in fines and charges to get their car back on the road.
“The best way to avoid this expense is to consider other road users in the first place and park legally."
This month the council is also set to increase penalty charge notices for breaches of rules for both parking and bus lanes to £100.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Fines can be reduced by half if paid within 14 daysGETTYThis would be a 66 per cent increase from the current rate of £60 which was set in 2012, as the council believes the fine does not provide effective deterrence.
The £100 fine, however, can be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days, with drivers being urged not to ignore a penalty charge notice.
Between last August and March this year, 13 new parking attendants were recruited contributing to a 22 per cent increase in penalty charges notices being issued.