Latest news with #PenaltyChargeNotices
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Scots drivers warned over new parking rules coming into force next week
Drivers will be expected to pay £100 if caught breaking the rules. Drivers in parts of Scotland are being warned of new parking restrictions that will be enforced next week. From Monday, August 18, motorists who park on pavements, drop kerbs, or are caught double parking in Falkirk will be slapped with parking tickets—also known as Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). Drivers will be expected to pay £100, which is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. The ban applies to parked, stationary, or idling vehicles on private and public roads where one or more wheels are on the footway. Emergency vehicles and waste lorries will not be affected, and delivery drivers will also be exempt, as long as deliveries take less than 20 minutes to be completed. Legislation introduced by the Scottish Government in 2019 banned pavement parking and gave local authorities more power to enforce it. Local authorities were given permission to decide if and when the measures would be implemented. So far, they have been enforced in areas including Ayrshire, Stirling, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Perth, and Kinross. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Earlier this year, members of Falkirk Council agreed that the fines should be enforced in a bid to make it easier for people in wheelchairs, parents with prams and the visually impaired to get about. The legislation allows local authorities to exempt some areas, and all 2,366 streets in the Falkirk area were assessed for this purpose. Twenty-one streets are now being considered for exemption or mitigation. Where there are exemptions, these will be clearly signed. Engineering design manager Gary McGregor said officers are still happy to consider requests for exemptions, and he believed it would be "a moveable feast" as areas and streets will change in the years ahead. Two new staff members will be recruited to the council's team of traffic wardens, bringing the total to eight. The new roles will also allow the council to introduce a back shift, as most pavement parking occurs in the evenings at the end of the traditional working day. Introducing the report, SNP councillor Paul Garner said Falkirk had looked at the 16 other authorities that have already implemented the legislation and learned from that. He said: "This is something we've been pushing for for some time and I'm happy to see it now being implemented. "I think the approach is the right approach and hopefully residents will appreciate what we are trying to do." Labour councillor Siobhan Paterson said that while most of her constituents welcome the change, it would make parking very difficult for some residents. She asked if the council could consider creating extra car parks that residents could use to mitigate these issues.
Leader Live
25-07-2025
- Leader Live
Flintshire County Council warn residents about text scam
Flintshire County Council say they've received reports of a scam in which residents are being sent texts about Penalty Charge Notices. The local authority has confirmed that they do not contact people about parking fines over text, and instead it would be in the post. Residents have been warned not to click on the link in the texts, which reportedly leads to a fake website. MOST READ: Council issue list of roads set to be reverted to 30mph in Flintshire next month Why Wrexham chippy offering free chips to kids all summer has had to change rules Actor and author set to appear at event in Flintshire next week A spokesperson for Flintshire County Council said: "We have received reports of a scam where people are sent a text about paying for a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), which takes you to a fake website. "We do NOT contact people by text about parking fines. "If you have received a PCN, you will receive all correspondence by post. If you are unsure, visit our website."
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
First week of East Ayrshire pavement parking restrictions sees just 50 fines issued
In the first nine days of the enforcement of new pavement parking rules, Ayrshire Roads Alliance issued 50 fines in East Ayrshire. Parking fines were issued to 50 motorists in East Ayrshire following the first nine days of enforcing new pavement parking rules. Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) said there had been "minimal complaints" following the first week of action. More than 900 warnings were dished out in the weeks before enforcement began and ARA belief the move has had a positive impact on driver behaviour. Parking tickets - also known as Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) - have been issued to motorists who park on pavements or dropped kerbs or are caught double parking since Monday, July 7. Drivers caught flouting the rules will be liable to pay £100 which is reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. Alan McCutcheon, parking operations officer for Ayrshire Roads Alliance, said: "We started full enforcement on the week beginning Monday, July 7 and have been visiting all areas of East Ayrshire. "Between July 7 and 16 we have issued 50 PCNs for pavement parking. "We've had minimal complaints, and this may be due to the effectiveness of the warning leaflets issued the month before. "We have had over 500 enquiries since announcing the enforcement, and approximately 60 to 70 per cent have been complaints of vehicles parking inappropriately. "Attendants have been visiting reported areas and where appropriate advising motorists to move vehicles off the pavement. "Where required, we have issued PCNs. "Considering we issued almost 1,000 warning leaflets, the improved behaviour from the vast majority of motorists should be commended and Ayrshire Roads Alliance thanks everyone who has complied for their co-operation." Legislation introduced by the Scottish Government in 2019 introduced a ban on pavement parking and gave local authorities more power to enforce it. The goal behind the legislation is to ensure that pavements and roads are safer and more accessible to all as parking on pavements prevents people from walking safely down streets. Pavement parking can also prevent access to pavements for people with disabilities or those pushing prams or buggies and it can cause damage which is expensive to repair. Double parking makes it more dangerous for vulnerable people or people pushing buggies or prams to cross the road safely as well as causing traffic congestion.
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Why are heavily polluting buses still allowed on city streets
Old cars can't come into the city without paying for the privilege under the low emission zone, but commercial vintage buses face no similar restrictions Low Emission Zone signs in place with six months to go Official road signs are being installed on the boundary of Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone (LEZ), with six months until enforcement begins. The signs, which are being used in the four Scottish cities with city centre LEZs, will inform drivers they are driving within the zone. In Edinburgh, additional '˜warning signs' will tell drivers that Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) will not be issued until 1 June 2024 and only to the most polluting vehicles. On Wednesday, Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Scott Arthur met contractors installing some of the first signs and urged drivers to prepare for the changes coming into force from 1 June 2024. Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: While enforcement against non-compliant vehicles won't begin until 1 June 2024, these signs are a reminder that the changes will soon come into force. By allowing a two-year grace period we wanted to give people plenty of time to prepare for the LEZ. However, with six months to go there's still time, and I'd urge anyone who's eligible to apply for the support finds on offer. Essentially, reducing the most polluting vehicles from the city will benefit everyone. Air pollution harms both our physical and mental health, so the LEZ we will help create a healthier place for everyone, reducing inequalities and making the city centre a more welcoming place. Dona Milne, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, added: Reducing air pollution has clear long and short-term health benefits for everyone. Our hope is that improved air quality will also encourage people to take advantage of more sustainable and active ways of travel, such as walking, cycling and public transport, which is beneficial for individuals and communities alike. Some households and small businesses One of the things I find difficult to understand in a city with low emission zones is why we allow some of the most heavily polluting vehicles onto our city centre. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There's been a huge debate about the low emissions zones, and everyone had the opportunity to have their say after which the proposals were implemented. Clean air hasn't happened overnight. I well remember a friend telling me about a car trip with his mum and dad back to his home just off Leith Walk in 1950s Edinburgh. Such was the pollution in those days that his mum had to open the door to check where the pavement was, so that they could park safely. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We're much better placed these days. Indeed, Edinburgh hasn't just dumped the 'Old Reekie' tag, our air quality has been completely transformed. In November a survey by Autotrader concluded that Edinburgh had the cleanest air of any city in the UK. Old cars can't come into the city without paying for the privilege, but commercial vintage buses face no similar restrictions. I understand why we would want to make vintage cars exempt. After all an occasional day trip by someone in a vintage car is neither here nor there, and they're lovely to see occasionally. However, tour buses are commercial enterprises, and they run seven days a week in the city, so the environmental impact won't be negligible. There are plenty of modern buses on the market that have very efficient engines and there are now plenty of electric buses on the market too. There are plenty of buses that have been converted, so that could happen too. We all want to see more jobs and benefits from Edinburgh being such a successful tourism destination. But we all want to breathe cleaner air at the same time. We all want to preserve our historic buses and perhaps a historic bus tour should be like a steam train trip, one of those rare treats to be savoured. Surely, it's time that all commercial tour buses in the city centre operate by the same rules? Donald Anderson is Director, Playfair Scotland
STV News
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- STV News
Number of parking fines issued on Skye doubles in five years
The number of parking fines issued on the Isle of Skye have more than doubled over the last five years, figures show. Highland Council added that a 'significant proportion' of fines handed out were likely to have been issued to tourists. Figures released by the local authority show the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued on Skye totalled 7,011 in 2024 – more than double the 2,784 issued in 2020. Last year, the local authority issued fines worth £1.3m across the entire region, with 67% of those issued paid to date. A separate parking income report from Isle of Skye and Raasay committee on June 30 said fines worth £428,750 were issued in the area between April 2024 and March 2025. It added that the average cash recovery from PCNs was around 70%, while arrangements made through debt collection could mean payments are made several years after the initial fine was issued. Figures show the highest amount of fines were handed out at Bayfield (West) car park in Portree, with 1,346 issued between April 2024 and March 2025. The was followed by Somerled Square car park, also in Portree, and Storr car park. Hundreds of fines were also issued at popular beauty spots like the Fairy Pools and The Quairing. The council said the increase in PCNs issued followed a rise in the number of parking enforcement officers cracking down on rule breakers as well as more parking and no waiting restrictions. Highland Council began recording the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in 2016, when just 2,300 fines were issued. The figure rose to 9,909 in 2020 and more than doubled to 19,665 in 2024. A Highland Council spokesperson said: 'There are a number of factors that have contributed to the increase of PCNs issued on Skye over the last five years which include an increase in the regulated parking areas, an increase in parking restrictions and no waiting restrictions in key locations to prevent routes being obstructed and an increase in the number of Parking Enforcement Officers. 'A number of areas that generate high PCN numbers are around key visitor locations, and it is likely that a significant proportion of the PCNs issued on Skye are to visitors at these locations. 'Parking rule breaking is a concern and the seriousness of this can depend on the area and frequency. In many areas, it can cause safety issues, block traffic, and create challenging situations for pedestrians and drivers. The public can report parking issues at Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
