... or how Cardiff aims to resolve its £35.2m funding shortfall by swindling motorists!
Have you received (or paid for) a penalty charge notice from Cardiff Council?
Have you checked the highway code to see if the alleged incident is even an offence?
There is a camera looking at the “yellow box” at the junction of Bute Place and Churcill Way. If you’re unlucky enough to be photographed stationary within the yellow box, you will receive a penalty charge notice, which will cost you £35 or £70 - or even £105 if you delay payment.
“But wait!” I hear you shout, “That’s a T-Junction! You can only turn left or right there, and stopping in a yellow box when turning right whilst queued behind other vehicles turning right isn’t an offence!”
Extract from The Highway Code, see www.highwaycode.info/rule/174
And, of course, you’d be correct. This camera is positioned such that the only footage it can record is of people NOT breaking the law!
But try telling this to the staff of Cardiff’s Parking Services Department. I have written a number of emails and letters pointing out that my alleged offence wasn’t an offence, and requesting a refund. Parking Services don’t dispute my claim that no offence was committed, but have so far refused to issue a refund.
I made a freedom of information request to Cardiff Council, and received this reply.
So, it seems that this particular camera is responsible for 1938 penalty charge notices, of which only 16 have been successfully appealed.
Let’s assume that the average cost of those 1922 tickets was £70 each. It’s a reasonable assumption, since some may have been paid at the reduced rate of £35, and some may have been £105. That’s a staggering £134540 of honest, law-abiding motorists money!
Writing in the Daily Express recently, RAC Spokesman Simon Williams commented, “The RAC is generally supportive of local authorities having the power to enforce yellow box junctions because of the value of local knowledge, but has concerns that it could lead to local authorities being inconsistent in the application of road traffic law.” You’re right about that Simon! In this instance, it seems that the local authority hasn’t even bothered to read and understand the road traffic law that it’s supposed to be enforcing! Mr Williams continues, “There is also a risk that cash-strapped authorities may see it as a lucrative revenue stream.”
Lucrative is an understatement! Wales Online’s Polical Editor, Ruth Mosalski, reported in January that following a successful appeal against a penalty charge notice relating to an improperly-signposted bus lane in Custom House Street, it was revealed that between April 1 and December 31, the council issued 7460 fines to drivers for just that one bus lane, netting the council between £261,100 and £522,200 depending on how quickly the drivers paid their fine! The article also reported that in response to a freedom of information request, a council employee stated “there is no recourse for reimbursement once the payment has been made." That’s right folks - Cardiff Council’s policy is that, even though the council were proven wrong, those 7460 drivers won’t be getting a penny of their money back!
So where are these ill-gotten gains going? Cardiff is aiming to find £19m in savings and income generation. Savings are difficult, given their “superstar wages” remuneration policy, so income from moving traffic offences (fair or unfair) will be vital.
If you’re one of the lucky 16 people who successfully appealed your penalty charge notice, please feel free to email me at info@CardiffPCNScam.co.uk with details of the grounds for your appeal, so that I can share that information here.