Will You get Fined if you Park There?

There are never enough parking places when you need one but don’t park your vehicle anywhere. If you do you could get fined, clamped or even towed away depending where you leave it and how long for. If you do leave your vehicle unattended and in an illegal parking place you may come back to find what’s known as a PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) attached to the windscreen. If you think that you have done nothing wrong you can appeal the charge however this must be received within 14 days of the charge being issued.

Where to Park

The lowdown of where to park and what to do.

Council Operated Car Parks

Council operated car parks are usually well run and maintained and you may find that they are also cheaper than rival parks. This is a good place to start when looking for a space for your vehicle. However, it’s not all plain sailing, as the majority of these car parks will have restrictions such as the maximum length of stay.

Tickets can usually be bought from a machine and normally you will have to display the ticket in your car or in some cases you can pay when you exit the park. When displaying a ticket, always place it in the centre of the windscreen so that the warden can see it clearly and remember to set your watch so that you give yourself enough time to get back to the car without going over the time limit of your ticket or you may incur a fine.

Free Parking

These are normally found off the beaten track. Usually in quiet suburban areas where there are no yellow lines or restriction signs. They can be found but streets like these in major towns and cities are few and far between.

Parking Bays

These spaces are either marked out by a continuous white line or they can be broken up into separate bays. Normally restrictions apply such as time limit of how long you can park in the bay for and sometimes it will even state that you must not park back in the bay for two hours after you leave. This is to stop vehicles parking all day in the same place. Always read the adjacent sign, as some bays may be free whereas others will be charged and it will be via a pay and display machine. If you do not pay for a ticket and display it clearly you can be given a PCN ticket.

Where Not to Park

On a Red Route unless in a parking bay within the route that allows you to do so and at that time of day.

Double Yellow Lines signify that you cannot park here at any time of the day or night.

Single Yellow Lines mean that parking is restricted in this area and you should seek out the adjacent sign as it will state at what time of the day you can park in this area.

What Sort of Fine can you Expect if you Park Illegally?

If you receive a PCN for parking illegally then you should expect to pay from £30, this can rise to £60 in some London boroughs while the parking fine will be doubled if you do not pay within a certain amount of time. If you continue to withhold payment the fine will continue to increase and you could be taken to court. If you feel that you have done nothing wrong then you need to lodge your appeal with the National Parking Adjudication Service.