RE: Ministers' Parking Fines Cost Taxpayer £60k
Wednesday 9th December 2009
Transport secretary Lord Adonis has revealed that ministers and senior civil servants have racked up close to £60,000 in parking fines since 2003 - at the taxpayers' expense.
Ministers' Parking Fines Cost Taxpayer £60k
Government cars rack-up tickets, and we shoulder the cost
In a written answer to a question in the House of Lords, it emerged that chauffeur-driven vehicles from the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) amassed £59,310 in parking fines, with £16,830 of that coming from the 2008/2009 financial year alone.
Lord Adonis's explanation? "Parking restrictions within central London may make it impossible sometimes to deliver secure or sensitive documents to buildings" he says, "or allow people with a high public profile to attend or leave buildings without putting themselves or secure documents at risk".
Perhaps the GCDA is aware of the civil service's ability to leave laptops on trains. Better to be safe than sorry, as they say.
So there you have it - if you're fuming over your latest parking ticket and you want to claim your parking fines back off your company, make sure you're a high-profile figure delivering sensitive documents.
In fairness, the GCDA incurred no speeding fines during the period. Or at least ones for which the taxpayer is expected to shoulder the burden...
Discussion
PH Article said:
chauffeur-driven vehicles from the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA)
Labour Puppet said:
"Parking restrictions within central London may make it impossible sometimes to deliver secure or sensitive documents to buildings" he says, "or allow people with a high public profile to attend or leave buildings without putting themselves or secure documents at risk".
Easy answer, pay a man to go with said car and get out to deliver the secure documents. That way the driver stays in the car and its Waiting not parked!Edited by nsmith1180 on Wednesday 9th December 13:45
Also, to be fair, you'd have thought that if it's a vehicle on official business the fine would be waived?
I mean maybe it's just me but that would make sense. I can see the point about the parking restrictions and sensitive documents/persons, that bits fine. But why when the paperwork gets processed don't they clarify the official business and say "Ah right, OK, lets bin that" the same as they would if a policecar on a shout was flashed by a speed camera.
Honestly, this country baffles me sometimes.
I mean maybe it's just me but that would make sense. I can see the point about the parking restrictions and sensitive documents/persons, that bits fine. But why when the paperwork gets processed don't they clarify the official business and say "Ah right, OK, lets bin that" the same as they would if a policecar on a shout was flashed by a speed camera.
Honestly, this country baffles me sometimes.
nsmith1180 said:
PH Article said:
chauffeur-driven vehicles from the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA)
Labour Puppet said:
"Parking restrictions within central London may make it impossible sometimes to deliver secure or sensitive documents to buildings" he says, "or allow people with a high public profile to attend or leave buildings without putting themselves or secure documents at risk".
Easy answer, pay a man to go with said car and get out to deliver the secure documents. That way the driver stays in the car and its Waiting not parked!Edited by nsmith1180 on Wednesday 9th December 13:45
Basically the fines should be made void if they can prove they are on official govenment business. If not then the person in question should pick up the fine. Simples.
Edited by leon9191 on Wednesday 9th December 14:17
leon9191 said:
Pretty sure that would cost more than £60K over 6 years though dont you think.
Basically the fines should be made void if they can prove they are on official govenment business. If not then the person in question should pick up the fine. Simples.
That was what I was trying to put across but your version is much more eloquent Basically the fines should be made void if they can prove they are on official govenment business. If not then the person in question should pick up the fine. Simples.
sprinter1050 said:
They should practice as they preach- send the buggers round on bikes. Preferably the pedal versions.
Bloody chauffeur driven, parking fines & all-not to mention the cost of this "GCDA" which I had never heard of anyway..
Just a money pit full of self-serving pompous arses.
My full agreement!Bloody chauffeur driven, parking fines & all-not to mention the cost of this "GCDA" which I had never heard of anyway..
Just a money pit full of self-serving pompous arses.
And then politicians & the government wonder why they never gain credibility.
Edited by vintageracer01 on Wednesday 9th December 14:31
dwilkie said:
leon9191 said:
Pretty sure that would cost more than £60K over 6 years though dont you think.
Basically the fines should be made void if they can prove they are on official govenment business. If not then the person in question should pick up the fine. Simples.
That was what I was trying to put across but your version is much more eloquent Basically the fines should be made void if they can prove they are on official govenment business. If not then the person in question should pick up the fine. Simples.
Update - just been given a ticket from my driver delivering a very heavy bath (I hear HR and health and safety issues here) delivering in The City of Westminster lo and behold - shall I pass this onto Lord Adonis???????
k it, we are paying for everything else, so why not this. 
Ministers should therefore stick this on expences.
Appeal against the ticket. There is a 60% chance you'll get let off parking fines if you drag them out if you can be bothered to keep typing letters. I know this for a fact... 
As for the £60k thing - its MUCH higher than that. Diplomatic vehicles easily obtained this figure in Westminster alone - but because they represent other countries they get let off.
One rule for us, another for the rich and famous as they say. Plus there are hundreds of vehicles on fake plates parking up illegally and getting these fines, but the councils don't communicate with Police and can't get them removed (good old common sense strikes again aye).
Basically the procedure is like this:
> Shove fake plates on and park anywhere you like
> Get a ticket
> At end of day, the handheld is uploaded to central database. DVLA automatically send council the vehicle driver details overnight so said ticket has a name and address to it.
> Fake plates = incorrect or no registered address, hence they get away scot free.
Same with the minister parking. "We're on official business and we're bigger than you so deal with it" attitude - the councils either leave them on the system "on hold" or write them off.
Oh - and yes, parking fines are target based as councils / companies rely heavily on this and they must catch X amount of vehicles to meet their targets.
I know too much...
As for the £60k thing - its MUCH higher than that. Diplomatic vehicles easily obtained this figure in Westminster alone - but because they represent other countries they get let off.
One rule for us, another for the rich and famous as they say. Plus there are hundreds of vehicles on fake plates parking up illegally and getting these fines, but the councils don't communicate with Police and can't get them removed (good old common sense strikes again aye).
Basically the procedure is like this:
> Shove fake plates on and park anywhere you like
> Get a ticket
> At end of day, the handheld is uploaded to central database. DVLA automatically send council the vehicle driver details overnight so said ticket has a name and address to it.
> Fake plates = incorrect or no registered address, hence they get away scot free.
Same with the minister parking. "We're on official business and we're bigger than you so deal with it" attitude - the councils either leave them on the system "on hold" or write them off.
Oh - and yes, parking fines are target based as councils / companies rely heavily on this and they must catch X amount of vehicles to meet their targets.
I know too much...
Edited by Anubis on Wednesday 9th December 15:36
r11co said:
Sums up exactly what is wrong with the government of this country for the past decade. Not 'one rule for us and another for them', but gross inefficiency - one department fining another, and pissing cash away paying people to administer it all.
Almost right. Unfortunately it is local governments (councils) that govern this and not Parliament. voting out Labour won't do diddle squat because they don't control it - the actual council you get caught in is calling the shots.They aren't allowed to "profit" from fines as they say to the press. However, what they do with the cash is reinvest it into other local schemes such are repairing things in local area and so on. The parking attendants do get a rough time (sorry to say this, but true) - they're being told to go out by their seniors in the cosy office and "must do their best to get 40 in todays shift" - if they don't they are refused overtime (because they are paid peanuts).
Once again, its the small minority fat cats creaming it all from all sources and rewarding themselves with £100k+ pay packet for sitting in the office calling the shots.
Call me cynical if you will but £60K over 6 years represents fines that the Labour Government admit to, what about all the other fines that will no doubt have been claimed back via the expenses system and thus will not be included in the £60K. My guess is that's a darn site more than £60K. Add to this all the fines that overseas embassy staff rack-up and don't pay because they hide behind the veil of Diplomatic Immunity and it's one hell of a figure that you and I are subsidising 
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