Drivers are forced to pay local councils as much as £5.5million daily in parking fines across public roads and spaces as charges reach record heights.
As councils look to increase the average parking fine, drivers who already deal with soaring insurance, unprecedented fuel costs and car tax hikes, will pay the price.
According to The Times, drivers paid £1.93billion in parking charges and fines between 2022 and April 2023, an increase from £1.76billion the previous year.
This year, councils revealed they will be increasing their parking charges further, with some going as high as 60 per cent to help raise revenues and tackle inflation.
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Across the UK drivers paid £1.93billion in parking charges last year
GETTYIn Kirklees, the West Yorkshire council for Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Dewsbury, it revealed short-stay parking fees would increase from 70p an hour to £1.10 per hour.
Fees in Dewsbury and other areas of Kirklees would also go up from 5p to 50p per hour. Long-stay parking across the borough as a whole would increase from £4 all day to £6.50 all day.
In East Grinstead in South England, parking charges are going up by almost 30 per cent as the council looks to raise more funds.
Elsewhere, North Yorkshire Council will be increasing its parking charges by 20 per cent from April 19 citing infrastructure costs as the primary reason.
In Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, from Tuesday, April 16, car parking fees and permit prices will increase by an average of per cent in all council-owned car parks and chargeable on-street parking areas.
The council said: “Councils across the country are facing an unprecedented challenge.
“Soaring inflation has driven up costs and many councils are facing an increase in demand for core services, such as social care, education and highways.
“Changes to parking charges detailed in the Notice of Variation document will come into effect on April 16, 2024, with the exception of the 'Supermarket' car park off-street changes which will come into effect on June 3, 2024.”
The Local Government Association explained: “Income raised through parking charges is spent on running parking services.
“Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the £16billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services.
“Motorists can avoid fines by ensuring they observe parking and traffic rules that are only there to help all drivers get around and find parking safely, smoothly and fairly.”
In London, last year local councils and TfL issued a total of nearly eight million parking charges to motorists who they believed had contravened parking, bus lane and moving traffic regulations.
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In London, local authorities issues nearly eight million penalty charges
PAIf motorists believe they have been fined unjustly, they are encouraged to appeal to the authority that issued the penalty.
If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can further appeal to an adjudicator via the independent appeals service at London Tribunals.