The AA says councils should offer warnings rather than fines to first time parking offenders as a way of proving they’re not using tickets as a way of generating revenue.
This call has been made in response to a recent case regarding bus lane cameras in Preston that caught 8,000 drivers in their first week of operation. Earlier this week, the Traffic Penalty Tribunal found that the bus lane was poorly signposted and upheld 300 appeals.
But the AA says that all 30,000 tickets that have been issued since the cameras were turned on to be refunded.
A spokesman for the motoring organisation said: “Councils should follow guidance from the Department for Transport that recommends writing to motorists who contravene bus lane regulations in the first two weeks after cameras are installed instead of ticketing them.”
The spokesman added councils “should also give warnings to first time parking offenders who may have made a genuine mistake rather than issuing a parking charge notice.” The AA argues that “this would prove that the cameras and wardens are there as a deterrent for bad driving and not as a cash cow.
“Councils have long seen parking enforcement as a cash cow, instead of a way to deter selfish drivers from parking where they shouldn’t.
“The AA has long felt that drivers should be compensated for the expense and lost time in making a successful appeal. That would make councils think twice before throwing tickets around like confetti.”