Car parking ‘spy’ cameras could be banned

The government are currently considering banning static and car mounted cameras that are currently used to catch illegal parking. It is thought that over the last five years, over ten million fines have been issued resulting in a total revenue of more than £301 million! There are currently 75 councils that have permission to use CCTV cameras to spot illegal parking and issue fines. Around a third of all parking fines in these areas are due to the CCTV system rather than via the traffic wardens.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles states that the practice is over zealous and should be reined in. It is proposed that the CCTV and car mounted cameras will be banned, instead, any filming of illegal parking will be done solely by traffic wardens. It is also suggested a parking review of areas near local shops should be conducted, making it easier for people to park in convenient locations, and that the positioning of yellow lines should be examined to ensure that they are not unnecessarily placed, limiting parking where it is most needed.

Photo by User:SalimFadhley – Wikimedia Commons