London councils lead the table for parking fines
Total parking fines have now risen to £884m in 2011, up nearly 10 per cent from total council income from these fines in 2008.
Data obtained by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) from a Freedom of Information (FOI) requests shows that East Yorkshire received the least income from motorist fines.
Yet London and Thames Valley leads the pack, and the FSB believes that some councils could be using the charges to raise revenues.
The FSB found that 59 per cent of urban retailers believe that reducing the cost of parking is a priority, while 53 per cent believe that increasing the availability of parking should be a priority
Another FOI request found that the top five councils that take the most from motorists are in urban areas taking a staggering £480 million.
John Allan, national chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:
We know there is no such thing as free parking, but local authorities need a voice in the local community about how the cost and availability of parking affects their business. We know that budgets are tight, but we don’t want to see parking being used as a revenue grab.