Millions of drivers could be slapped with expensive parking fines as Labour considers cost hikes

Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood admitted in a parliamentary written question this week that the Government was reviewing the cap for councils outside of London, where the cap is currently £110 or £160.

The DfT has refused to rule out increasing fines from £70 to more than £120 for local authorities outside London.

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​The proposed increase would mean parking violations could carry heavier penalties than several criminal offences, Mail Online reported.

Under current sentencing guidelines, shoplifting carries a fine of £90 for lower-level offenders, while criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly also carry £90 fines.

Critics argue this creates a disproportionate punishment system where parking infractions are treated more severely than actual crimes.

The Conservatives have accused Labour of hammering drivers with local government spokesman Kevin Hollinrake saying: "Labour's war on motorists continues.

"This Labour Government has been caught red-handed trying to whack up parking charges for millions of motorists, with fines larger than those for some shoplifters. It's the latest slap in the face of our working people."

AA president Edmund King expressed concern, saying: "Drivers have become the go-to for local authorities to source more funding: environmental charges, workplace parking levies, congestion charges, hikes in residents parking permit costs and fines.

"Now, we have the crazy situation where a parking fine may exceed the fine for shoplifting, criminal damage or being drunk and disorderly. The punishment needs to fit the offence, not the financial needs of councils."

Councils in England and Wales have raked in record amounts from parking fines in recent years. In 2023/24, they collectively banked more than £1billion in profit.

A hike of up to 75 per cent in parking fines could boost their coffers by hundreds of millions of pounds, according to estimates based on current revenue figures.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, added: "The risk is that cash-strapped councils see fines as a way to help balance their books, which would be unfair and possibly illegal."

Campaigners have raised fears of a "behind-closed-doors" arrangement that would allow councils to boost their finances at motorists' expense.

At present, parking tickets issued by councils are capped at £60 or £70 outside of London, depending on the category of fine. Most councils offer drivers a lower fine if they pay it quickly.

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The Local Government Association, which represents councils, has previously suggested the cap should rise as high as £122 to bring it into line with inflation, as it has not been raised for more than a decade.

The British Parking Association has supported the proposed increase, stating: "We have been working with the LGA to bring to ministers' attention that, outside of London, penalty charge notices are too low and have remained unchanged for over 15 years. They are no longer fit for purpose as a deterrent."

Despite the mounting pressure from local authorities and the parking industry, the Department for Transport has maintained that the review remains ongoing. A DfT spokesman said: "No decisions have been made."

The Government has not provided a timeline for when the review might conclude or when any potential changes to the parking fine structure might be implemented.