Parking fines: 30 per cent remain unpaid in Exeter

Almost 30 per cent of parking fines issued by Exeter City Council last year remain unpaid, figures released by the City Council reveal.

Data obtained through a Freedom of Information Request state that during 2012, of the £783,054 worth of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued in Exeter, £213,834.36 (27 per cent) remain unpaid.

Just under £49,000 is still owed from 2010 and over £150,000 is owed from 2011.

The total amount outstanding for unpaid fines in the last three years equates to £417,684.38.

A representative of Exeter City Council stressed that the 2012 figures are likely to reduce as more motorists pay the outstanding fines.

The figures also show that during the same period since 2010 the total amount in fines issued by Exeter City council has increased by almost £200,000, a 30 per cent rise.

During the last three years, motorists in Exeter have paid more than £1.6million in off-street and on-street parking fines.

Since Exeter City Council took responsibility for Civil Parking Enforcement on 5 May 2008 they have issued 94,670 PCNs, with the figure at its highest in 2009 when they issued 22,244.

Exeter City Council enforces on-street parking on behalf of Devon County Council. 

Of the total money collected in on-street fines, all of the money goes to Devon County Council net of the costs incurred by Exeter City Council in running the service.

In January it was found that motorists across Devon handed-out more than £14m in parking charges in 2012, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

Rachel Sutton, city councillor responsible for transport, said at the time: "Our funding from the Government is steadily declining. And because we own our car parks, that income helps us to keep council tax low for Exeter residents."

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: "Councils are making record-breaking profits from parking, while cutting road safety spending on life-saving services such as education for young drivers, cycle training, and safe routes to schools schemes. Cuts to road maintenance will mean a backlog of repairs which will cost more in the long term."

What happens if you don’t pay?

A statement on the Exeter Council website reads:

“If you do not pay your Penalty Charge Notice, and you do not successfully appeal, the Council will take steps to recover the debt and the cost of the debt will increase the longer it remains unpaid.”

Full figures:

01/01/2010 – 31/12/2010:

Paid: Total £511,537.38 (on-street £456,997.38; off-street £54,540.00).

Outstanding: Total £48,861.22 (on-street £43,366.22; off-street £5,495.00).

 

01/01/2011 – 31/12/2011:

Paid: Total £552,694.80 (on-street £484,293.68; off-street £68,401.12).

Outstanding: Total £154,988.80 (on-street £138,624.62; off-street £16,364.18).

 

01/01/2012 – 31/12/2012:

Paid: Total £568,651.80 (on-street £510,016.80; off-street £58,635.00).

Outstanding: Total £213,834.36 (on-street £194,539.36; off-street £19,295.00).