Big rise in Kirklees parking tickets

NEARLY 600 drivers are getting parking tickets every week in Kirklees.

New figures show a near 5% increase in the number of fines being handed out by parking wardens across the district.

And those fines are bringing in an income ranging between £20,000 and £40,000 a week.

Kirklees’ figures are pretty much in line with other authorities, with rises for the number of tickets.

The number of local council parking tickets rose to a record 4.24m in 2009-10 – up from 4.03m in 2008-09.

Appeals to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal by drivers contesting the fines rose by 15% during the same period, but the success rate fell from 62% to 57%.

In Kirklees, parking wardens gave out 28,956 tickets in 2009-10, but last year the number went up by 1,416 to 30,372.

A council spokesman said: “We operate Penalty Charge Notices on two different bands.

“One is for £70, or £35 if paid within 14 days, which are for the more serious offences, where safety is an issue, such as parking on double yellow lines.

“The other band is for less serious offences, such as not displaying a ticket or having an expired one, and those cost the driver £50, or £25 if paid within 14 days.”