Parking ‘spies’ flout own laws!

04th June 2008

Councils are being caught on camera flouting their own parking laws! We spotted this Smart CCTV car parked on double yellow lines outside a school in Medway, Kent – one of the very places it’s hoping to catch motorists breaking road rules.

Councillors in Richmond, Surrey, have also come under fire from residents who have spotted similar spy cars parked in a disabled bay and also on double yellow lines. But a spokesman argued: “The vehicle is permitted to park there to carry out vital enforcement work.”

It’s not only rules that local authorities are turning a blind eye to, either. New figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal they are unlawfully issuing fines to motorists who ignore incorrectly applied road markings and misleading signage, too. These penalties should be overturned, but some local authorities are not only failing to fix the street furniture, but continuing to prosecute too. In north London, Camden Council collected nearly £250,000 in fines from motorists caught driving down a pedestrianised street, after a ruling found it wasn’t signposted correctly. Authorities have no obligation to repay these fines, but the Dep-artment for Transport has urged them to “seriously consider” doing so.