Parking

The aim of this legislation is to provide consistency throughout England and Wales by providing a single framework for parking regulations. It ensures a fair system is in place and requires councils to be more transparent and accountable by having to publish financial and statistical information in the form of an annual report.

The regulations, which form Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, (TMA) made parking enforcement in England and Wales a civil activity and parking attendants are now known as civil enforcement officers.

There are two levels of Penalty Charge depending on the severity of contraventions:

• more serious - £70 (discount rate if paid within 14 days - £35);
• less serious - £50 (discount rate if paid within 14 days - £25).

The regulations, which cover both on-street and off-street parking, make parking fairer and more transparent and provide motorists with a consistent service across the country.

What else happens now the TMA has come into force in England and Wales?

• Councils can use closed-circuit television (CCTV) devices to enforce parking regulations.
• There is no longer a need for a Penalty Charge Notice to be placed on a vehicle or handed to a driver for it to be properly served.
• If a vehicle is driven away before the Notice is issued, it may be posted to the registered keeper of the vehicle.
• If a civil enforcement officer, for whatever reason, is unable to serve the Notice, it may be posted to the registered keeper or owner of the vehicle.
• If a Penalty Charge Notice is issued using a CCTV device, it may be posted.
• Councils outside London can take enforcement action over vehicles parked on dropped kerbs or more than 50 cm away from the kerb and double-parked vehicles.

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