Tuesday 29 March 2011

Gibraltar: £50 parking fines and clamps on the way?

GIBRALTAR (Source: Panorama) The government is toying with the idea of introducing £50 parking fines as part of its new parking plans beginning next week. An army of enforcement agents will descend on Gibraltar roads armed with new powers. The new plan includes the creation of parking schemes to make provision for different kinds of parking categories of citizens at different times of the day and in various different areas of Gibraltar. The first phase of the scheme will be launched next week in the north district and will be followed by a second phase before the summer. "Pay and Display" parking spaces for cars, where parking will only be available on payment of a charge and purchasing a ticket from a nearby machine, will be introduced and strictly enforced and policed as part of the government war against long-term parkers.>
A series of separate public statements and advertisements will be issued during the next few days in relation to the zones affected by the pilot scheme, which is to be followed by legislation as part of new "Traffic (Parking and Waiting) Regulations".

All parking functions and responsibilities, including operating all Government parking schemes, multi storey and other parking facilities, removal of derelict, abandoned and other vehicles, vehicle tow away, enforcement of parking and waiting schemes and laws and administration of the fixed penalty notice scheme will be integrated in a government company, which will have wide powers. A new body of enforcement officers is being established.

Government thinking is that "High levels of enforcement" will be required if the new schemes are to work successfully. As part of the plan new parking tickets, including £50 fees, will come into force.

In June 2001, the government increased fines by 200%, from £5 to £15, arguing that the £5 fines were not acting as a deterrent. Similar arguments will now be used for the new increases, as well as their having made available 'free' parking spaces in residential areas for the exclusive use of residents.

However, as everyone knows, parking remains a major problem, with the lack of sufficient parking spaces in the town centre. Motorists complain that even if they have a 'reserved' space where they live, their cars have to be used to travel to work etc which becomes a daily nightmare.

Meanwhile, the collection of payments for fines is a rock-high problem, with large six-figure sums remaining un-collected.

There is also the concern by many that foreign cars are not even issued with parking tickets because it is felt to be a waste of time as collection is not being enforced in such cases. This is considered as unfair by resident motorists, who speak of discrimination against them.

It is believed that consideration has been given to tackling this problem by a return to more widespread clamping and towing-away.

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