Motoring News » Motoring Laws

Richmond Park parking fee squashed

Alan — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:41:58 +0000

The plan to bring parking charges to Richmond Park has been stopped by the Government. John Penrose, the Tourism and Heritage Minister, stated on Monday that the Government is going to look into alternative ways to bring money in from the park such as events like farmers’ market.

Campaigners are happy from the news that has fought the parking proposals since they came out 18 months ago. Edward Lister, the Wadsworth Council leader, stated that the decision not to charge for parking was a vindication of the stance that many people held across south West London and also a victory of common sense.

He expanded by stating that parking charges would have caused many people to stop visiting Richmond Park and due to the fact that there is not public transport into the park most people do not have another option but to drive. At the same time, Lister stated that residential areas around such as Roehampton would have faced overspill parking from those who do not want to pay for parking.

Justine Greening, the Putney MP, met with Penrose last week in order to once again voice an opinion against the proposed £1 hour per parking charge proposal. Greening stated that it’s a huge victory for all the residents that were involved in the campaign.

Penrose responded that they will search for alternative funding sources that help preserve the environment and respect the view of the local residents so that everyone is happy.

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No speeding cops prosecuted in North Wales

Alan — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:29:14 +0000

Sixty Six North Wales Police vehicles were caught speeding on cameras throughout the 2009-2010 year, although in 59 of the cases there was no action taken since the officers were able to show that they were exempt given they were speeding in the line of duty.

Another case was thrown out because blue lights could clearly be seen, and another because there was an incorrect detail recorded in the database. The other five cases are still being investigated.

The figures have been released in the face of a Freedom of Information request, which reported that in 2008-2009 127 vehicles from the North Wales Police force were caught on film speeding. Out of those 119 were exempt, four were tossed out due to visible blue lights, and three due to incorrect details. Out of the remaining cases, one driver was sent to a speed awareness workshop.

A spokesman for the North Wales Police force stated that het force has a transparent and robust approach to how it deals with police vehicles that are caught on speed cameras over the limit and are very meticulous about applying exemptions in any case.

The spokesman explained that any officer that is caught speeding must submit a report which is looked at closely before a final decision regarding the matter is made and after authorization for the exemption is given by a senior evidence assessor.

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Satellite speed cameras track your every move

Alan — Thu, 13 May 2010 02:02:05 +0000

Speed cameras that can send information back and forth via satellite are being tested undercover on Britain’s roads. The devices can track driver’s speeds for miles and determine if they have broken the speed limit during their journey.

The cameras combine global positioning satellites and number plate recognition technology so that tens of thousands of cars can be monitored across the network.

The system is called SpeedSpike and is used to enforce the London congestion charge allowing two cameras to in essence speak to each other if it looks as if a vehicle has travelled a long distance in a short period of time.

The trial was conducted nationally and was not publicly known until just a few days after a report showed that so far motorists have been fined around one billion in speeding tickets.

There are two test sites for the trial, one on the A374 in Cornwall between Antony and Torpoint and one in Southwark in London. The Conservative Party immediately questioned if such an ‘alarming’ level of surveillance should have been raised so covertly.

Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox, stated that it is always necessary to question if watching or spying on people is appropriate, and that at some point it becomes a comfortable routine, which it never should reach in a free society.

The cameras were created by PIPS Technology Ltd, an American company that has a business base located in Hampshire. The company boasts that its cameras can capture number plates 24/7 and in all weather conditions at a low cost.

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No licences for asylum seekers

Alan — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:03:15 +0000

New government rules dictate that asylum seekers that are allowed temporary leave to stay in the UK will not be able to apply for drivers’ licenses.

According to the Department for Transport, only people that are allowed to stay in the county for over 185 days will be able to take the driving test.

The new changes will only apply to those who reside outside of the European Economic Area and will not affect those that live within it.
The rule change has been added to existing law as an amendment which means that it does not need debate from MP’s or Parliament approval.

Transport Minister Paul Clark said that a preliminary measure he has informed the House that from this point forward anyone who applies for a license will need to show proof of UK residency.

Clark added that those who have an undecided status or without leave should not be able to access benefits allowed to those with settled lives in the UK such as a driving licence. Therefore, those who are present UK residents under temporary permission or those with temporary release from the Immigration Act of 1971 will not be allowed to receive a driver’s licence.

The new law change was a joint introduction by the Home Office and the Department for Transport.

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Clamper clamped and towed

Alan — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:04:35 +0000

In nature sometimes it is referred to as the hunter becoming the hunted, but for the millions of people who have been clamped it was sweet justice when a clamper had his vehicle impounded by the council parking wardens.

The van was spotted without a current valid tax disc and was clamped and then taken away on a flatbed lorry.

Angered, the driver of the van made an obscene gesture towards a passer-by that caught the entire scene on a mobile phone camera.

The van is owned by the clamp and tow company LSB Enforcement who regularly catch drivers across the county of Essex and charge drivers £500 in order to get their vehicles back.

The photographer stated that the driver was furious swearing repeatedly. He continued to say that for once the company got what it dishes out and that maybe it will make them think twice next time they tow a car.

Spokesman for the wardens and Southend Council stated that the decision to impound the van was made by the DVLA and fully authorized. The spokesman added that the vehicle was reclaimed.

Clampers have been met with controversy for years for taking advantage of mistakes to charge outrageous fines, which were reduced in January when ministers declared that all fines needed to be halved.

Other proposals put on the table by the ministers included created a tribunal with no basis for drivers to appeal the clamping and in some instances clampers may be forced to refund unfair charges and fines.

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Men commit more motoring offences than women

Alan — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:37:31 +0000

The AA has done quite a lot of research on the subject of motoring convictions as related to gender. Among all of the motorists on the road, approximately 18% have been convicted of some sort of motoring offence; however in that 18%, the number of men found guilty of an offence was far higher than the number of women – about one and a half times higher.

The trend, however, is changing. Ten years ago the conviction rate among women was 11%; according to the latest studies that rate has risen to 15 %. With men the rate has risen by only 3% in the same time period, from 17% ten years ago to 20% at present.

Statistics recently reported by the Department of Transport indicate that men travel 20% further than women, on average, compared to the 2002 statistics showing men travelling 40% further than women. Simon Douglas, the AA’s motor insurance director, suggests that the change in related travel times accounts for the smaller difference in conviction rates.

According to the AA, men have historically had a higher rate of traffic offences than women, particularly among the age group from 17 to 20 years. For this reason male drivers generally pay a higher rate for motoring insurance. The AA reports that the current rates for men are still well over those paid by women, in some cases even twice as much.

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£178,000 Swedish speeding fine

Alan — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:43:45 +0000

Making headlines in Sweden is the sentence imposed in a St. Gallen court that resulted in a £178,000 fine being handed out to a millionaire who clocked 137km/h in an area where the limit was 100km/h. It is notable given the fact the penalty is over twice as much as the previously highest fine.

Although most countries have fixed tariffs for penalties such as speeding violations, areas such as Scandinavia believe that when fining a victim their income should be taken into account to assure the fine is a relatively severe punishment.

The idea is that a set tariff may unfairly punish someone with a low income that cannot afford it, while at the same time a wealthy person will react to a set tariff as a simple slap on the wrist. Thus, with an adjustable income tariff all people are punished equally for breaking the law.

However, since Switzerland is attempting to become the hotspot for hedge funders, this raises the question of if wealthy people will simply hire a chauffeur to beat the speeding ticket for them and how adjusting the tariff will work if tax authorities do not give financial information to the police.

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New rules on the way for parking mafia

Alan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:32:45 +0000

A new independent panel aims to prevent motorists from getting fined by private car parking companies unfairly.

Sadiq Khan, the transport minister, stated that self-regulation is not working correctly in the UK and that the government should step in. At the moment the private car parking industry is hardly regulated and there is not an independent adjudicator.

Drivers complain on a consistent basis that the private car companies use unscrupulous tactics and threaten county court judgements without any accountability.

Tracey Tremlett, a driver who received a ticket while visiting a restaurant stated that she was told that she was parked illegally for 60,235 minutes and threatened with a judgement. She also stated that even though she knew she was not in the wrong since she had only visited the restaurant twice she was scared to read the notice in the post.

At the moment the UK has around 26,000 permanent car parks with most complaints stemming from people who were parked on these sites. However, the new calls for reform tackle the entire private parking industry.

Sources from the AA stated that the industry is allowed to run ‘amok.’ Paul Walters of the AA stated that the problem is growing at a rapid rate as the industry attempts to extort higher amounts of money from the public.

Even the chief executive of the British Parking Association, Patrick Troy, stated that there needs to be a better system in place because there are not any laws that force car park operators to follow a code of practice.

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Motorists to pay for violent crime victims

Alan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:36:48 +0000

Drivers who are faced fine for small motoring offences will now have a £15 surcharge tax added onto their fine that will be contributed to aid groups for victims of violent crime and domestic violence.

The new tax was hinted at in a Parliamentary answer before Christmas. As a result of its approval anyone who receives a fixed penalty ticket will have the surcharge automatically tacked on.

The extra penalty will be assessed on simple motoring offences such as running a stop sign, speeding, parking tickets, and even if a vehicle is driven with dirty windows.

Ministers stated that they hope to affix the new tax on every type of fixed penalty in the future. At the moment, only those who are found guilty in court will face the new surcharge.

Justice Minister Claire Ward stated in the Parliamentary reply that it is now government policy that offenders will need to help victim’s services as part of their penalty for breaking the law. Thus, new provisions have been made that add the surcharge onto criminal convictions, penalty notices, and minor road traffic offences.

Ward also stated that in the future the ministers intend to add the surcharge to other fines as soon as it becomes possible. She also stated that the proceeds will be used to provide funding for many organizations that help victims of crime.

The new surcharge will increase the rates of many basic fines such as the cost of a penalty notice for disorder from £80 to £95 and the cost of speeding fines from £60 to £75.

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Reminder issued about morning after driving

Alan — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:04:19 +0000

As the New Year arrives motorists are being warned not to jump in their vehicles too quickly after waking up from a night of drinking.

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is issuing reminders to drivers that during the festive season they need to take caution on the roads as snow storms are once again expected in many areas across the UK.

The Institute said that it is likely that the weather conditions will be a bad mix with the amount of drivers who will be driving into shopping centres and towns for New Year’s Day sales.

The IAM added that the fact that many of these drivers may not realize they are still under the influence from celebrations the night before only makes matters worse.

Although most people are aware of the dangers of drink-driving while engaging in nighttime activities, most people do not realize the danger in driving to soon the next morning.

In fact, according to the IAM it can take as long as 12 hours for three glasses of wine or four pints to get out of a person’s system, which means that if their last drink was at 1am they should not be behind the wheel until lunch the next day.

Chief examiner for the charity Peter Rodger stated that the current weather forecast combined with morning after drink driving can possibly cause many problems.

The IAM advised using extreme caution while driving and taking the time to plan out your trip and listen to all travel bulletins before heading out.

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