Croydon parking attendants issue 6,430 fines in one road
BUSY parking attendants are handing out an average 302 tickets a day to drivers in Croydon – with Cherry Orchard Road one of the top hotspots.
Figures revealed to the Advertiser show 110,260 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were given to motorists between April 1, 2011 and March 31 this year.
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A parking attendant issues a ticket
Offences include parking on yellow lines, parking on kerbs, illegally stopping in a loading bay and simply not paying for a ticket.
Aside from the lengthy London Road, more tickets were issued in Addiscombe's Cherry Orchard Road than anywhere else.
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A staggering 6,430 drivers got caught here – a rise of 2,058 on the previous year.
You can see how many parking tickets were handed out on your road by clicking here
Duane Clarke, 25, from Croydon, said: "I think that the statistic is probably right.
"I live round here but I do see people struggling to park, especially traders.
"Traffic wardens are eager to give out tickets and most people have to park on side roads."
Cafe owner Hicham Abbad, 40, fears a serious accident as traders are forced to park elsewhere and carry large goods across the busy Cherry Orchard Road.
He said: "I've tried to unload outside of the cafe at 7.30am but cameras outside lead to unwanted fines.
"How can I run a business that way?
"I've even tried loading at 5.30pm but have still received hefty charges."
The overall number of PCNs in Croydon has slightly decreased from last year's figure of 113,754, while the year before it was 117,547.
But the amount of money the council collected from parking tickets will not be made public until October.
Sam Kerrison, 38, said: "I avoid parking in Croydon because it is so expensive."
While Shaun Bottrill, 50, from Croydon, added: "I have an international disability badge so parking is easy for me.
"But without it I would find it impossible to park."
Croydon's highway chief Phil Thomas says he won't be "gloating" about the number of parking tickets decreasing in the borough.
But he says this shows parking attendants are NOT being set targets.
Cllr Thomas said: "If people are parking illegally there's a good chance they are going to get a ticket.
"But if they follow the rules there is no chance of them getting a ticket."
While people might argue about getting a ticket, Cllr Thomas says there is the other side where residents complain the council aren't enforcing the rules.
And he has said that anybody unhappy with a ticket can contact an independent adjudicator.
You can see how many parking tickets were handed out on your road by clicking here
Comments
by MFXPYRO
Wednesday, June 20 2012, 11:45PM
“Doh! sorry should have been "Shaws electrical" not "Croydon power tools" but seems I can't delete/edit posts :-(.”
by MFXPYRO
Wednesday, June 20 2012, 11:43PM
“@neilsitch
Agreed, I avoid shopping in Croydon like the plague now. The loading bay ticket was from when I was supposed to be collecting from Croydon power tools so I can't risk buying stuff from them anymore. Goodbye commerce in Croydon as far as I'm concerned.”
by neilsitch
Monday, May 28 2012, 10:42PM
“Got caught in Cherry orchard road, it's cameras not wardens. Tried to appeal to local councillors didn't want to know and now I can see why as it's just a cash cow. Easy answer is that I no longer ever visit Croydon. Certainly saves on parking fees and fines.
Wake up Croydon there is internet shopping out there!”
by DianaFrance
Saturday, May 19 2012, 12:58PM
“"But he says this shows parking attendants are NOT being set targets."
Then why are they issuing tickets on housing estates after 9 pm in a road where pavement parking is under consultation? Residents have been misled into parking on pavements and then stung for a fine. If attendants aren't chasing targets why would they bother?”
by MFXPYRO
Friday, May 18 2012, 4:19PM
“Many people are still getting tickets wrongly issued and not fighting them though and the council know this so will keep doing it! I got one for being in a loading bay for less than 2 minutes (goods weren't ready so I went back later) They claimed I got the ticket because they saw no evidence of loading on the camera (which was correct and I explained why) but the guidelines not sure if they are actual rules though) state that they must observe for a minimum of 5 minutes. A colleague got a ticket (again camera issued) while he was stopped at a red light and his passenger decided to get and walk out while he was stopped. They claimed he was "parked", technically he could have been in the wrong (although it's a grey area) and legally he is ultimately responsible for the actions of his passenger but it is a clear example of following the "rules" to the extreme and showing no basic common sense!”
by roomster
Friday, May 18 2012, 8:39AM
“I only use pay on exit carparks these days to avoid the risk of getting a ticket.To my mind the the level of "charge" when people do get caught is often excessive, the thing that really get's to me is someone returning to their vehicle a few minutes later than they should will get the same fine as someone who never even bothered to pay to park.”