Popular tourist hotspot risks boycott from drivers amid plans to hike parking charges and fines
Increased traffic fines would help crack down on drivers who park illegally
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A local authority in a major UK town is currently looking at increasing parking fines to crack down on the number of traffic violations.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council plans to seek approval to raise the penalty drivers receive for minor offences.
The council stated that the higher parking fine threshold would help stop drivers from parking illegally.
Drivers will be charged £50 for minor offences and £70 for major offences, although these will be halved if they pay within 14 days.
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Drivers warn the increased fares will stop people from coming to the town
PAGraham Farrant, BCP Council’s chief executive, said: “We have been campaigning with the Government for some time and we’ve reopened this with the new Government.
“Car parking fines are at a level very similar to that we charge for a full day in the car parks. The level two car parking fine is £50 or £25 if paid within 14 days and the top level is £35/£70.
“There is a national view looking at the level of fines for parking illegally. We are looking at London as an example to see whether that has a deterrent effect," he detailed in the council meeting.
He explained that parking charge increases were needed after complaints about illegal parking have risen across the area.
In total, the council recorded how it issued “well over” 1,000 parking tickets this year to drivers. The parking increases would be similar to the ones in place across London, which are currently split between two bands, A and B.
The bands refer to how much drivers would pay for parking infringements with band A being a higher fine and band B being marginally less.
Band A has a lower parking charge of £80 and a higher of £130, whereas Band B has a maximum fine of £110 and a lower of £60.
BCP council detailed: “We can issue Penalty Charge Notices using camera enforcement. Cameras are used to photograph vehicles parked illegally."
It read: "We will post you a Penalty Charge Notice if you’ve moved the vehicle before the notice could be issued, the Civil Enforcement Officer felt you threaten their personal safety or if your vehicle was seen parked illegally by the camera car.”
However, the proposals have been met with criticism from local drivers who warn that fines will deter people from visiting the area.
One person shared: “The only deterrent will be that of not coming to Bournemouth at all. With very little else there, the parking will be the only talking point.”
Another person shared: “Have you been to Hampshire lately?You will see most of the towns and villages heaving with shoppers and tourists, parking costsroughly half of that in Bournemouth, very few drunks, beggars and druggies though.
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Parking charges would be rolled out in a similar structure to London's schemes
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“What is needed is a complete rethink of how this council is run and start with lobbying Westminster for the replacement of the officers and the councillors, I'm in two minds as to who has the brain cell to think this one up.”
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