Taxi Driver Online

Free for all parking that cost town £2 million




Parking chiefs have missed out on up to £2 million in fines in eight months, new figures have revealed.

East Sussex County Council’s controversial pay-and-display street parking scheme came into effect in Eastbourne in October following a decision by the Department for Transport.

The scheme was due to be introduced last year but was put on hold following a legal challenge by opponents at Eastbourne Borough Council.

In the meantime, people complained of a parking free for all, with motorists leaving cars illegally without fear of being fined.

As part of a review of the lack of traffic enforcement within the town, Eastbourne Borough Council discovered 34,459 warning notices were issued to illegally parked cars from January to October.

It means county council parking chiefs have missed out on £2,067,540 in fines, had motorists been slapped with £60 tickets.

Even though the borough council opposed the new on-street parking charges, the report by its scrutiny committee reveals it could benefit the town.

Katie Armstrong, the council’s scrutiny coordinator, said: “It is clear from the comments made that the lack of parking enforcement has had a considerable impact on public transport, emergency service vehicles and taxis, as well as affecting businesses in the town centre and seafront hotels.

“The lack of enforcement has also allowed dangerous repeated and continuous parking at junctions, reducing visibility for both motorists and pedestrians.

“Ultimately, it was felt that the introduction of the scheme would be beneficial to many people, freeing the movement of traffic and potentially reducing taxi fares due to fewer badly and illegally parked vehicles, and there would be increased ability to have short stay parking in the town centre.”

The council’s scrutiny committee also recommended that money raised from parking fines is used to improve cycle lanes, motorcycle parking and pavements.

Eastbourne council, which will retain control of its car parks, has vowed to improve lighting and make the spaces more customer friendly.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Clearly they don't have police in Eastbourne.

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IDFIMH

Too busy preparing for NTA 2009

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Parking has not been the domain of the police for over a year now. It is down to your LA. Have you not noticed that traffic wardens have dissapeared and been replaced by council parking jobsworths.

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Grandad,

If the civil parking lark hasn't been adopted then it's still down to the police.

Even if it has been adopted, dangerous parking is still down to the police.

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IDFIMH

I'm not sure about that Sussex. I thought that the police were no longer involved with parking and it is up to the council to enforce or not.

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Grandad,

Dunno..we,ve a Police traffic warden that gets the Luxury use of driving around in a pretty luxurious looking marked Police 4x4 shogun or some such likes...how much must that be costing us...a bloody bike would do him..

You are in a foreign land.

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Grandad,