Plans have emerged to increase parking penalties outside London to more than £120, with a motoring journalist leading the backlash on Saturday (May 17).
Drivers face ‘frankly ridiculous’ new parking rules in England outside London
Drivers face “another bash” from Labour as parking fines soar in England. Plans have emerged to increase parking penalties outside London to more than £120, with a motoring journalist leading the backlash on Saturday (May 17).
Journalist Steve Fowler warns road users, drivers and motorists are being “bashed” repeatedly with excessive parking fines. Fowler described the situation as “frankly ridiculous” during a chat on GB News.
Fowler told GB News: “I mean, us poor motorists every time. Wouldn’t it be lovely I love coming on GB News if we could hear the government say they’re going to do something for motorists?
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“But no. Bash, bash, bash every time. And this is, frankly, ridiculous. They’re trying to encourage people to get back into town centres, to go out shopping, to support local businesses.
“And yet, if we stay a little longer than we expected and haven’t paid the right amount for parking, we’re going to get stung with a fine that, as you quite rightly said, is greater than someone committing actual criminal damage.
“This is criminal damage, as far as I’m concerned, what the government is doing to motorists.” He added: “There most definitely is a war on motorists whether it’s congestion charges that are supposed to reduce traffic in town centres, which they certainly don’t, or parking permits every single opportunity is used to squeeze a bit more cash out of law-abiding citizens.
“We’re talking about people who might overstay their parking by 10 or 15 minutes because they’re doing something worthwhile, like supporting a local business and yet, they’re getting stung again.
“Frankly, maybe we should take a leaf out of the French book and start blockading things or whatever it takes. We take it on the chin a bit too much as motorists, and maybe we shouldn’t. Unfortunately, we’ve got a little while yet before we can take it out at the ballot box.”