Council cash in? The 1000-tickets-a-day wardens that make Scots cities UK fines hotspots

The shopping precinct of George Street – one of the few areas for on-street parking in Edinburgh city centre – was the country's most lucrative black spot for fines.

Parking charges there have recently risen by 20p to £3.80 per hour.

Glasgow came third in the worst-hit rankings – recording around 34,000 tickets issued – with the notoriously busy St Vincent Street where a pay-and-display costs £1.80 for two hours.

Roger Lawson, campaign director of the Alliance of British Drivers, said the research triggers further concerns that parking enforcement is too "aggressive" and that councils are seeing parking fines as a source of income.

"On-street parking revenue from fees and Parking Charge Notices should not be used for 'revenue raising', but only to cover the costs of administration and enforcement. But councils ignore it," he said.

"If there is that much infringement it suggests either the council is using companies to undertake enforcement are too aggressive and/or there is insufficient provision for parking to meet the demand, and probably inadequate public transport, both of which should be the responsibility of the council."

Neil Greig policy and research director of the motoring organisation IAM RoadSmart felt the problem in Scotland's two biggest cities came down to a combination of "chronic" under supply of prime parking places in key economically important streets and and "confusing or poorly marked spaces".

"The issue for IAM RoadSmart is that there is no incentive for the councils to really investigate or fix these problems. They should be trying to enhance the economy of their cities by providing consumer focussed parking services, more spaces and high quality signposting and bay markings. This would reduce the numbers being caught out and make the place look more attractive at the same time," he said.

"Although councils have to reinvest fine income in transport services they should not be relying on it to supplement their budgets," he said. "Any suggestion that this is happening will inevitably lead to accusations of revenue raising being ahead of providing a service that gives any visitor to our main city centres a positive experience."

The comparethemarket.com research found that London topped the parking black spots list with a total of 549,009 PCNs issued across 10 boroughs generating revenues of over £24 million.

Simon McCulloch, director at comparethemarket.com said: “Our parking fines hotspots research has revealed that motorists need to be extra vigilant when it comes to something as simple as parking their vehicle correctly, if they want to avoid a hefty fine. With Christmas on the horizon, a parking fine would be a very unwelcome present!

“PCNs can be issued for several reasons. It could be for parking somewhere you shouldn’t, failing to show a valid parking ticket, or displaying an expired ticket. Other offences include breaking traffic rules, such as going against a ‘no right turn’ sign, or driving in a bus lane. With the cost of driving getting more and more expensive, unexpected cost like a parking fine can be difficult to swallow."

In May it emerged that some £14 million was raised in 2016 through a record number of parking fines in Scotland. And on top of the cost of parking tickets, drivers had to stump up another £5 million over the year in fines for driving through city bus lanes.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “This is not a money making exercise. Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and a destination for hundreds of thousands of motorists from outside its boundaries, therefore it is not surprising that it is third on the list.

“We try to deter motorists from using their cars where possible and encourage people to switch to more sustainable modes of transport such as cycling or using public transport in a bid to protect the environment and reduce air pollution.”

An Edinburgh City Council spokesman said all parking surplus income is reinvested in Edinburgh’s transport infrastructure, in line with the Road Traffic Act.

Through the lens of an undercover camera, which city will issue a parking ticket first – London, Birmingham or Liverpool?  

Council transport and environment convener, Lesley Macinnes, said: “This period covers the busy summer festival season, when the city’s population doubles and our roads and parking are under considerable pressure. As Scotland’s capital, parking restrictions ensure that we’re able to keep the city moving, allowing accessibility for all road users by maintaining road safety and encouraging free flow of vehicles.

“Parking controls also help businesses, residents and their visitors by encouraging a frequent turnaround of spaces, as well as deterring inconsiderate and all-day parking.”