Foreign Drives Flout UK Parking Laws

[Quillan]

Council names and shames foreign super car drivers who flout parking laws.

Over the weekend there were several UK Newspapers running articles about Foreign plated cars not paying parking fines and the inability of councils to be able to trace them for the money owed. I can't find a copy of any of the weekend articles but I did find one going back to April 2010 which talks about this (and also the rules on how long you can keep a foreign plated car in the UK but that was not the main reason for posting the link). In the article a certain Westminster Councilor said the following (which was duplicated in the articles over the weekend) "British taxpayers can no longer foot the bill for foreign motorists who seem think the rules of this country do not apply to them". What I would like to know is how do the UK tax payers end up paying, I mean do they have to pay the fine on behalf of the foreigners who have done a runner (which I doubt) or are we talking about the cost of actually printing the ticket. I also thought that the councils have lost out on a golden opportunity to make even more money by simply clamping any foreign car that breaks it's parking laws then issue a ticket.

I have just found one of the articles, sorry it was in the DM but I am sure I read it on MSN and in the Torygragh

Foreign drivers parking illegally 'costing councils millions of pounds'

As to speeding fines and other minor driving offences, which were not addressed in the article, I can't understand why police can't give instant fines out like in France or do they think the police will nick all the money?

[Gluestick]

Indeed, Q:

[quote]I also thought that the councils have lost out on a golden opportunity

to make even more money by simply clamping any foreign car that breaks

it's parking laws then issue a ticket.[/quote]

Having had a very poor experience of the sheer incompetence of Westminister City Council and looking at the resident profile, then I'm sure they need zillions to waste.....................

As you say, so correctly, this hasn't cost them a cent: what it has cost them is opportunity to extort even more to waste.

Their record on incorrect penalties and indeed, illegally applied penalties was the subject of a TV documentary some time back.

The outsourced contractor was paying commissions to wardens and managers!

[NuBeginnings]

Parking tickets are a bug bare of mine. As I have had lost count of the amount of tickets I received applied against and beaten. I would add beaten because the tickets were issued illegally by the local authorities i.e not following procedure not abiding by the law ! I beat them at tribunal stage ;-)

Most local authorities use parking enforcement as a supplementary revenue. Get stuck in a money box / yellow box junction, if there is a camera about there will be a fine in the post.

I have no problem with parking enforcement, but when its genuine enforcement and not just to make money.

As for chasing foreign drivers, how much will that cost. Far more more than the cost of writing the ticket off I bet.

If you get a ticket in the U.K have a look at a website called pepipoo parking forum.

Using the information from that forum and the help of the forum members I beat one speeding ticket, 36 in a 30 and all my parking tickets ;-)

[woolybanana]

Why aren't foreign registered cars automatically clamped?

[Gluestick]

What?

When they arrive at Dover and Ashford etc, Woolly?

[:D]

Good concept for all the Eastern European HGVs driven by nutters...............

Get 'em before they hit the M20!

[Www]

[Quillan]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Why aren't foreign registered cars automatically clamped?[/quote]

NO, NO Wooly they are aloud to drive around a bit so we can 'mug' them for their money, you know, the odd £10 here and there for an ice-cream etc, then when their broke you can clamp them. [:D]

Wished they had fitted a clamp to the mother-in-law, over her mouth would have been ideal. [:'(]

[woolybanana]

The last time I saw my ex-MIL who is a Flemish mare, I couldn't resist saying "Quoi, tu es toujours en vie? Quelle honte" That shut her up.[6]

[AnOther]

I suppose you can argue it's revenue lost in the sense that a parking place occupied by a non paying driver vehicle is one which a paying driver cannot use but to suggest that every non paid parking fee or unpaid ticket is actually lost money is at best disingenuous.

Another way has to be found such as instant immobilisation or removal which will both generate money and also send out the message that it's not acceptable.

Surely though only a brainless moron would persist in issuing tickets to

foreign registered vehicles knowing full well that they will not be

paid but whilst there are targets to meet obviously it will continue.

I like the little snippet in the box:

"Divers with their vehicle registered in Afghanistan had 1,848 outstanding tickets with a value of £196,730"

Other than official embassy vehicles just how many Afghan registered cars can there actually be in the UK [:-))]

[Quillan]

[quote user="woolybanana"]The last time I saw my ex-MIL who is a Flemish mare, I couldn't resist saying "Quoi, tu es toujours en vie? Quelle honte" That shut her up.[6][/quote]

Mine came from a Stevedore family, married beneath her to an electrician who's family were dockers and they all came from the East End. I am a very brave man from a distance but being in the same room is a different matter. [;-)]

[Quillan]

[quote user="AnOther"]
I like the little snippet in the box:

"Divers with their vehicle registered in Afghanistan had 1,848 outstanding tickets with a value of £196,730"

Other than official embassy vehicles just how many Afghan registered cars can there actually be in the UK [:-))]

[/quote]

Think I would be a bit worried about going near one of their cars, it might go BANG !

[cooperlola]

How come?  Were they made of concrete instead of tarmac, or something?  [Www]

[Chancer]

[quote user="AnOther"]Surely though only a brainless moron would persist in issuing tickets to foreign registered vehicles knowing full well that they will not be paid [/quote]

Well there is one who most times tickets me in the pay and display car park in my local UK town near the charity book shops, I have quite a collection of the menacing yellow envelaopes, I use them to raise the blood pressure of inconsideratley parked drivers.

And before anyone points it out I realise that some of you will consider my free parking inconsiderate.

I also once cowardly chose not to return to my car parked in a meter bay at Brighton eye hospital whilst a parking warden took what seemed to be hundreds of photos of my car from all angles especially where the tax disc would normally be, before printing out the parking ticket.

[Gluestick]

The most fun I've had with parking wardens was back i the early 1970s.............

A good mate had just driven over from Switzerland in his Swiss registered LHD Renault for a family Christmas.

Hadn't seen him for a while and he asked if I wanted to drive into town for a coffee, a chat to catch up and some last minute shopping.

Parking on double yellows in the busy part of the town centre, we waited until an officious little warden came striding purposefully over and banged on the driver's window.

"Can't park 'ere, Mate!" he said, "Double Yellers!"

We answered him in French.

Naturally, he then repeated his admonition, but slowly and very loudly, since as foreigners we were quite obviously stupid and deaf.

The pantomime ended when the little man retreated: thought for a bit and, we watched his troubled visage light up!

"Well, don't leave it for more than 15 minutes!"

Duty done he strode away................