Driving tip
Number 7
Friday 15th February 2008
IGNORE THE YELLOW AT YOUR PERIL
Parking restrictions have never been popular with motorists – for obvious reasons – but recently, it feels as though they have got more complicated.
This year will see penalty charge notices (PCNs) that no longer have to be placed on the windscreen, for example.
On-street parking infringements will soon be detected by camera - CCTV - and a penalty notice sent by post to the vehicle’s registered keeper.
As the technology has got more sophisticated, the clarity has got worse: these days, not every yellow line has to display a time plate showing the restriction.
In Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) (commonplace in many London boroughs and most UK cities) the general parking, waiting and loading restrictions are displayed at points of entry to the CPZ, usually at major junctions. Inside the CPZ, time plates need only be displayed where the restrictions differ from those shown on the CPZ entry plate.
This means you need to be alert as you approach your proposed parking space – not expect to be able to pop out and read the plate restrictions once you have secured your slot.
Double yellow lines do indicate no waiting at any time, so they remain straightforward. But a single yellow line is trickier: it can be used to indicate waiting restrictions much longer than the normal working day. In some places, single yellow lines are used to indicate 24 hour waiting restrictions – but only seasonally. In such cases there must be a time plate showing the restricted hours.
As if parking wasn’t awkward enough, certain London boroughs assume that every driver who wants to park has a mobile phone and a credit card. The days of “feeding a meter” with humble coins are seem to be going!
It’s a good idea to check the parking restrictions on line before you set off to your destination, if you can. A quick visit to the relevant local authority website might save you a lot of wasted petrol and frustration – as well as the price of a Penalty.
ENDS
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