Loading bay parking fines cost van drivers almost £600,000 a year

Van drivers have been fined some £1.7 million over the past three years for incorrectly parking or stopping in a loading bay, according to research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The research also found that almost a quarter of appeals against penalty charge notices for incorrect use of a loading bay were successful.

A total of 45 councils responded to a freedom of information request out of 51 contacted for the research.

Glasgow issued the most PCNs (106,752) over the three years 2015-2018, followed by Manchester (39,125) and Haringey (30,869).

Haringey was one of four London councils in the top ten – the others were Newham, Camden and Barnet.

Councils have issued an average of 13,000 parking fines a year since 2015 with figures rising by 10 per cent year-on-year – highlighting how the rules around loading bays are increasingly unclear for van drivers.

Volkswagen’s Sarah Cox said: “As this research reveals, PCNs are costing businesses thousands of pounds a year when, in fact, they can be avoided completely if you understand the rules correctly. Loading bays are an essential part of the red route network as they allow businesses to access central locations to make and receive important deliveries. As the rules change between councils, it is crucial that you check before you park.”

Total number of PCNs issued for offence code ‘stopping / parking in loading bay’ over the last three years (2015 – 2018)

Glasgow          106,752

Manchester     39,125

Haringey         30,869

Bristol             27,749

Liverpool        15,567

Nottingham     14,435

Leicester          13,234

Newham          11,544

Camden           8,799

Barnet             7,177

Source: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles