PARKING CHARGES HIT RECORD £1.2 BILLION POUNDS - ROWEN

Commenting ahead of the publication of the Transport Select Committee's Report into parking charges, the Liberal Democrats have released new research which shows that since Labour came to power England's parking charges have increased a massive 82%. In the last year (03/04 to 04/05) alone they went up 6%. England's motorists are now being charged almost £1.2bn a year.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson and Rochdale MP - Paul Rowen said:

"These figures are a cause for great concern, I am concerned that motorist's are getting unfairly hit in the pocket. In the Rochdale Borough, for example the percentage increase is 57% since Labour came into power. In 1997/98, the income from parking charges was £1,098,000, this has risen to £1,727.000 in 2004/05. This works out to be £33,211.54 a week or £4,744, 51 a day. We need parking restrictions and those who break the law should be rightly punished but we need to the motorist being treated fairly - this means adequate signage so that motorists are in no doubt over parking regulations."

The Government clearly sees motorists simply as a cash cow. These increases have punished motorists without achieving any impact on congestion. We need to know proportion of this income has come from parking fees and how much from fines. We must also know how much of this is being driven by private parking contractors. Parking Attendants do not have a very good reputation, the reason for this is that we often hear of quotas, targets and private companies encouraging attendants to issue tickets like confetti and ignoring common sense, this has got to stop. I am also in favour of "scaling" the penalties relating to the "seriousness" of the contravention."

Across Greater Manchester - the figures vary Bolton Council's income from Parking Charges are the highest in Greater Manchester, raking in £4,094,000 per year. Whilst in Bury, income from Car Parking Charges have rocketed 168% since 1997