- 35 per cent of appeals result in cancelled tickets

By Linda DyersIts one of the most annoying things to have a parking ticket issued if you are a car user in the capital.  But all is not lost. In research undertaken on 100 cases by the London Daily News 35% of the appeals were successful leading to the notices being cancelled, and in many cases the local authorities are reasonable and willing to cancel tickets if the correct evidence is presented.

The vast majority of Londoners do not even bother contesting parking notices and as leading parking ticket website appealnow.com has said "It's bad enough getting a parking ticket, but paying it without at least investigating whether you have a valid appeal would be a real pity."

The cases that were presented to the London Daily News involved commercial drivers leaving cars parked on yellow lines and delivering goods to businesses.  If a delivery note and letter is sent to the issuing authority normally a 20 minute period is permitted in the City of London and around the same for most other boroughs.  

In many cases civil enforcement officers (parking wardens) issue a ticket out without full knowledge of what the driver is involved in, ie one of the cases the London Daily News investigated involved a pregnant woman about to give birth, being driven by her husband to a hospital in Camden. The car was parked on a double yellow line for 10 minutes.  On appeal the penalty was cancelled by Camden.

Drivers should also expect clearly labeled signs and lines, in one case Haringey Council on Font Hill Road clamped and removed cars parked who had purchased parking tickets only to find that cars parked within the white box were in residents parking.  Again on appeal the tickets were cancelled and the signs were altered to clearly indicate what side drivers should park.

Appealsnow.com also stated:

“There are currently seven DPE Councils outside London that clamp or remove vehicles. They are: Birmingham, Blackpool, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham and Oxfordshire. ... The fact that these Councils between them elected not to contest 28% of the appeals brought in cases involving the clamping or removal of vehicles, gives cause for concern." Chief Parking Adjudicator on Clamping and Towing away.”

If you think you have grounds to appeal a parking ticket get on the phone put pen to paper and stand up for your rights.

Goto the TFL website for appeals on the Congestion Charge and parking

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/6750.aspx