Major changes to the way Councils enforce parking are on the way as the Civil Parking Enforcement Regulations come into effect on 31 March 2008. The new regulations, which are part of the Traffic Management Act 2004, will be the most radical shake up of parking enforcement in England and Wales for many years.
The new regulations, which cover on street and off street parking, aim to make parking fairer and more transparent and provide motorists with a consistent service across the country. Under the new regulations, there will be two levels of Penalty Charges and in certain circumstances there will no longer be a need for a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to be placed on a vehicle, or handed to a driver, in order for it to be properly served, as the new rules allow the PCN to be posted to the registered keeper. Councils will also be required to hold regular reviews of parking policies in consultation with stakeholders.
Local councils across Kent work in partnership to provide consistency, and have produced a guidance document setting out cancellation policies, which is available on Council websites. They have also produced a leaflet summarising the new regulations. Councils across the county have adopted the same penalty charges - a higher tariff for more serious contraventions will be £70, and a lower tariff for less serious contraventions will be £50. Both tariffs will be discounted by 50% if paid within 14 days, as is the present case.
For more information please visit the website at www.dover.gov.uk/parking or call Parking Services on (01304) 216868.
Email: pr@dover.gov.uk
