ALMOST £200,000 was pocketed by East Renfrewshire Council from penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued to motorists last year, it has been revealed.
The local authority handed out a total of 4,897 fines to drivers who were deemed to have committed an offence, which could involve illegal parking, stopping in box junctions or ignoring ‘no-turn’ signs.
The exact income for 2018 stood at £185,893 – an increase of almost £20,000 from the figure of £167,688 in 2017, when the council issued 4,999 fines.
East Renfrewshire Council has said PCNs perform an important role in helping to keep people safe.
A spokesperson told the Barrhead News: “Parking enforcements are carried out to keep our roads safe and clear for road users and pedestrians, promote access to local businesses and prevent misuse of disabled parking bays.
“Income from fines help maintain and improve road markings and signage, however this is not the aim of any parking charges, which is why it is free for the public to park within East Renfrewshire Council-owned car parks.”
The figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request by Confused.com, which believes not all fines are issued fairly.
The company claims signs or road markings can often be incorrect or unclear and believes the income from PCNs should be invested accordingly to tackle this.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “It’s only right that some of this fine money is invested to help make road signs clearer to eliminate the number of fines being distributed unfairly.
“In the meantime, we’re helping people fight unfair fines and navigate through the chaotic appeal process.”
The company has issued an online ‘challenge checklist’ to help drivers navigate the appeal process.
Ms Stretton added: “Our challenge checklist should help motorists decide whether to appeal a fine.
“With the cost of motoring ever increasing, we shouldn’t be forking out even more money to pay for unfair fines.”
The challenge checklist can be accessed by visiting confused.com/car-insurance/fight-unfair-fines.
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