The Freight Transport Association is urging its members to train their drivers in identifying penalty charge notice hotspots, after a 50 per cent leap in charges to members in London.
The FTA’s PCN Survey 2012, revealed that the 27 companies surveyed had paid £2.9 million in fines and a rise in costs which was directly related to the increase in the number of PCNs issued on the capital’s roads.
One-third of the enforcement authorities accounted for 80 per cent of all PCNs issued, with the London Borough of Westminster, London Borough of Camden, City of London and Transport for London more likely to issue to PCNs to FTA members than other London boroughs.
Natalie Chapman, head of policy for London, said: “Commercial vehicle operators have grown smarter when dealing with the problems of making deliveries in the unfriendly roadside environment of central London, but the findings of the survey suggest that there is a need for them to improve their understanding of how certain parking restrictions apply. As well as training drivers and identifying PCN hotspots, a well-targeted and intelligent approach to appealing unfair PCNs could save some companies hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
“It is equally important for local authorities to ensure that there is sufficient kerbside space and facilities for deliveries, and for civil enforcement officers to understand why trucks and vans may be in a restricted parking area in the first place, and to apply some common sense when issuing tickets.”
