Insurance for car news
27/01/2012
Parking illegally is expensive
In the county of Shropshire drivers who persistently park in illegal zones and fail to pay fines will now have their vehicles towed away, say officials.
Authorities have warned that people who continually refuse to pay their fines are often not registered with the DVLA and have no insurance for cars or road tax.
The new measures are due to start from the week commencing 23 January, with motorists who fail to pay fines for three or more penalty tickets putting themselves at risk of having their vehicles impounded.
Shropshire council, which oversees parking enforcement in its county, will give parking attendants the responsibility to have a vehicle towed.
The cost for drivers can be high, with a £105 vehicle removal charge, a £12 a day fee for storage, plus a £50 disposal charge if they fail to collect their vehicle. These are extra expenditures that motorists will want to avoid, since for some drivers low cost car insurance quotes can be hard to find.
Sceptics who say the council has introduced the scheme to make itself a profit are wrong, says an environmental enforcement manager. He explained that the charges follow national guidelines and therefore no money will be made by the council as a result of the measures.
Motorists who have their cars impounded will still have the right to appeal but the easiest way to avoid a fine is by parking legally and paying any necessary parking fees within applicable time limits.