Drivers could face fines of as much as £180 under a proposed crackdown on soaring levels of illegal parking in London.
More than 4.2 million parking tickets a year are issued in the capital for offences such as parking on yellow lines, exceeding the time limit in parking bays or parking in bus lanes.
Contraventions have increased by 50 per cent since 2011, when councils last increased their penalty charges, and they are concerned “that the current penalty charges no longer act as a deterrent”.
London Councils, the cross-party organisation that represents the 33 boroughs, has launched a consultation that proposes widespread reform of the current system of fines.
At present, there are “Band A” and “Band B” fines, with higher charges in inner London and suburban town centres, and lower charges in outer London where there is less of a battle for parking.
There are also “higher” and “lower” fines depending on the offence – with drivers facing tougher sanction for parking on yellow lines or causing an obstruction, but a lower penalty when overstaying in a pay-and-display bay.
This means that fines can range from £60 depending on location and severity of offence – with drivers who pay within a fortnight qualifying for a 50 per cent discount.
Under the new proposals, Londoners are being asked whether the penalty fines regime should be standardised across all boroughs.
One option is to bring the top fine in line with the £160 fine imposed by Transport for London for parking on a Red Route main road.
TfL increased its penalty tickets from £130 last year to toughen the deterrent effect and tackle the problem of declining bus speeds – a key factor in the reduction in bus passengers.
Another option being considered is to increase the top rate to £180 – equivalent to the rate of inflation since councils last increased their fines.
If the banding system were to be retained, it would mean that the cheapest ticket would increase from £60 to £90.