Council car equipped with CCTV cameras issues 'immediate' £70 fine to 1,500 drivers in one month

Drivers have been slapped with thousands of fines for breaking major parking rules introduced last month in a bid to crack down on poor driving.

Leicester City Council has revealed that its new CCTV car camera has captured a total of 1,509 motorists breaking existing parking restrictions across the city.

The enforcement car was introduced on April 1 and is equipped with an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera to help tackle illegal and dangerous parking.

Since its launch, the council has recorded thousands of cases of poor parking and driving practices by motorists, which have resulted in an immediate £70 fine.

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The car camera was brought in to monitor and enforce moving parking offences on red routes, zigzag markings on school streets, and bus stop clearways where illegal parking can put the safety of others at risk and cause unnecessary congestion.

Councillor Geoff Whittle said: "In its first four weeks, the CCTV enforcement car has caught hundreds of motorists flouting parking rules.

"They will now face a fine, but more importantly, receive a strong message that illegal and dangerous parking will not go unpunished."

He acknowledged that camera enforcement and fines can be a "very effective deterrent" and would only send the CCTV car out to areas where there are persistent issues with illegal parking, but no current fixed camera enforcement.

He added: "Councils have a duty to tackle dangerous and illegal parking. We are confident that the new CCTV enforcement will be an effective tool to clamp down on dangerous and inconsiderate parking, especially in areas where there are lots of children and heavy traffic."

The council detailed how in the first 28 days of operating, the CCTV car patrols issued 1,475 fines for illegal parking on red routes on London Road, Gravel Street and Abbey Lane.

Meanwhile, 34 penalty charge notices have been issued to drivers for illegal parking close to school gates outside eight city schools.

The CCTV enforcement car, which costs £57,000 to buy and equip, will continue to be paid for from parking fine income, with any surplus ringfenced for local road safety improvements.

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The new enforcement follows regular complaints about dangerous, inconsiderate and illegal parking outside schools, in bus lanes and at bus stops.

Councillor Whittle added: "Councils have a duty to tackle dangerous parking and are given power to enforce parking restrictions by CCTV in areas where there are ongoing problems.

"We want to get the message across that parking without consideration for others, especially in areas where there are lots of children and busy traffic, will not be tolerated."

On top of a crackdown on poor parking, the council has also approved new 20mph zones along residential parts of Leicester.

The proposed schemes will impact Aylestone, where 36 residential roads will be covered by the new 20mph zone, extending restrictions already in place in the area.

The council explained how most of the roads covered by the new scheme will be between Aylestone Road and Saffron Lane, including from Duncan Road in the south up to Boundary Road and Hughenden Drive, as well as roads close to Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

Councillor Whittle shared: "Lower traffic speeds greatly reduce the risk and severity of traffic collisions, help reduce noise and anti-social driving, and can encourage people to feel more confident about walking or cycling in their neighbourhoods."

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