How leaves on the road could save you from a parking ticket

In winter sometimes fallen leaves can obscure yellow lines, resulting in drivers receiving parking fines for stopping on roads where they thought that it was ok to park.

If leaves are obscuring lines on an un-spwept roads it is worth being aware that this is grounds for appealing a parking ticket, but only if certain conditions are met.

This is because it is the responsibility of local councils to keep roads clean with parking restrictions clearly visible. If the lines were covered by leaves and there was no relevant signage close to your vehicle then you have a good chance of having the ticket overturned.

In order to appeal  you need to do the following upon finding the parking fine. 

• look for signs that state the restrictions. (If there’s one right next to your car then your appeal is likely to fail).
• Measure its distance from your car to the nearest signage. (One pace = around a metre) 
• Take a picture of your car in relation to the sign
• Take a photograph of the road showing that the lines are obscured by leaves or flooding.

Most phones will embed Exif data on the image, this information can be used to prove the location and time that the photo was taken. This could be vital in any appeal.

The Source of this information is aph.com, there are also many other helpful tips for winter in their article

Britain’s shortest double yellow lines

Ever wondered where Britain’s shortest double yellow lines are? Well wonder no more... they are located in Cambridge - and you will get a ticket if you park on the lines which are just  over 11 inches (28cm) long.

The lines separate a residents’ parking zone with a pay and display area in Hamilton Road, just off Chesterton Road in West Chesterton. They lines may look tiny, but the fine is unfortunately not. Parking here will cost you £50 or £70.

Image source : Cambridge News

For some other interesting Cambridgeshire parking facts click here

Crackdown on illegal parking as council take control

For years drivers in North Somerset have parked illegally without the fear of finding a parking ticket. However the council has now taken over enforcement of double yellow lines and disabled bays from the police.

 

The council is hoping a clampdown on the streets of the streets of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Portishead will free up spaces for people who genuinely need them.

One wheelchair user said, "sometimes when you go into places like supermarkets, and people have parked in there, if you do go and tackle them, they can be quite abusive."

The wardens here have spent the last two weeks handing out over a thousand (blue) warning notices to people that have been parked illegally.

If the equivalent number of £70 fines were to have been given out, it could have netted up to £70,000 for the council.

 

Allan Taylor, Parking Services Manager for North Somerset Council, said "Invariably, we will be giving out more fines but I think very quickly the public will change their behaviour."

"Very shortly we will have places available for loading bays, for lorry drivers, for people to unload, disabled bays for disabled people and no parking where it could be dangerous or hold up traffic."

In the first few hours of the new enforcement rules, the team has issued 50 £70 fines. The council says it's a small price to pay for keeping these roads clear.

 

Traffic warden in trouble after ticketing wheelie bin

A traffic warden with a sense of humour is being investigated after issuing a wheelie bin with a parking ticket.

The traffic warden slap one of the dreaded yellow notices on a Biffa wheelie bin that had been left 'parked' on double yellow lines in Carmarthen in south west Wales.

Onlooker Mike Jones recounted the event to the BBC: "It was bizarre - I realised I had just watched a warden give a ticket to a wheelie bin for bad parking."

Carmarthenshire council acknowledged the whole thing was a joke, explaining there was no actual penalty charge notice inside the waterproof plastic packet, but said it would be investigating.

Counctil traffic and safety manager John McEvoy said in an interview with the BBC: "There was no ticket issued, it is not possible to book a wheelie bin or anything that is not motorised."

"Although this was meant as a humorous incident, we take this kind of thing very seriously and have launched a formal investigation into the conduct of this officer," he added.

It is unclear who was responsible for illegally parking the bin or who the parking attendant is.

 Source