UK councils issue 20,000 parking fines each day in 2022

UK councils issued an average of nearly 20,000 parking fines each day last year.

Figures obtained by Churchill Motor Insurance suggest fines were handed out by local authorities at a daily rate of 19,631 in 2022.

That is a 12% rise from the previous year.

This increased revenues for councils to an estimated £777,287 per day last year, up £35,113 from 2021.

The analysis is based on data provided by the 230 UK councils that responded to Freedom of Information requests.

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), also known as parking fines, are issued when motorists break parking regulations, such as by parking on double yellow lines or on a single yellow line at a prohibited time.

Fines can be up to £130 in London, or up to £70 outside the capital.

The penalty is usually halved if a driver pays within 14 days.

Islington Council, in north London, issued more fines than any other local authority, with a daily average of 1,012.

Birmingham City Council (373), Southampton City Council (313) and Cardiff Council (279) issued the most parking fines outside London.

Head of Churchill Motor Insurance, Nicholas Mantel, said: "Motorists across Britain are regularly being caught out by increased and sometimes complicated parking restrictions.

"We would encourage drivers to always check parking signs carefully to ensure they avoid any expensive fines.

"If motorists do receive a parking fine, they have 28 days to pay it or appeal to an independent tribunal."

Recent analysis by the PA news agency found that the number of parking tickets issued by private companies in Britain reached an average of nearly 30,000 per day between April and June last year, up 50% from the same period in 2021.

Drivers at risk 'wherever they turn'

Director of the RAC Foundation, Steve Gooding, said: "Whichever way they turn and wherever they decide to stop, on-street and off-street, drivers are faced with the threat of parking sanctions.

"Between the 20,000 tickets issued by councils daily and the 30,000 dished out by private parking companies, motorists are seemingly facing a positive flurry of fines and charges - around one every two seconds.

"Parking rules are there for a reason and should be respected but at a time when household budgets are under such pressure these numbers beg the obvious question of whether millions of drivers are really risking a big bill for poor parking, or whether over-enthusiastic parking enforcement is putting other objectives, like revitalising our post-pandemic high streets, at risk."

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, who represent councils in England and Wales, said: "Income raised through on-street parking charges and parking fines is spent on running parking services. Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the £11 billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.