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The Civil Parking Enforcement Regulations come into effect
on 31 March 2008 and, as a result, motorists are set to benefit
from clearer and more consistent guidelines for parking across the
country.
Under the new regulations, there will be two levels of penalty
charges, depending on the severity of the contravention. An example
of a serious contravention would be holding up traffic or causing
danger to other road users (including preventing access for
emergency vehicles) and would carry a penalty of £70. A less
serious contravention such as overstaying on a parking meter would
carry the lower penalty of £50. As is presently the case, both
penalties will be discounted by 50 percent if they are paid within
14 days.
The regulations also mean that employees involved in parking
enforcement from local councils will be given improved training,
and councils are more open and transparent about their parking
information.
Independent adjudicators will have increased powers too, to refer
appeal cases about parking charges back to Local Authorities if
they consider that a council should have used its discretion to
cancel the penalty charge earlier.
This doesn't mean that you'll be able to get away with illegal
parking though. Parking enforcement is in place to make our roads
safer and less congested for everyone and a ticket-free windscreen
doesn't mean that you've got away with it - in some circumstances a
parking charge can be posted directly to the registered keeper of
the vehicle.
Local councils across Kent have produced a leaflet which
summarises the new regulations, and sets out which contraventions
incur the higher tariff and which incur the lower tariff. To find
out more about the changes visit the
parking information leaflet. |