Lambeth Parking tickets scandal: Liberal Democrats and tories refuse to listen

Cash for parking tickets backed by Tories and Liberal Democrats in Lambeth

At a special council meeting, Lambeth’s Liberal Democrat and Tory Councillors have backed the financial incentives given to a private company to hand out parking tickets. Since signing a parking contract with Control Plus in August 2003 the council has been inundated with complaints about over-zealous ticketing and in May 2004 the South London Press exposed the financial incentives in the contract. Labour councillors called a special meeting to force a vote on the incentives in the hope of getting them scrapped.

But Liberal Democrat and Conservative Councillors banded together to keep the contract despite vociferous opposition from Labour Councillors and members of the public. Three separate delegations of angry car drivers spoke at the meeting, each emphasising the unfairness of the “cash for tickets” contract.

When the new contract came into effect in August 2003, the issuing of parking tickets rocketed by 30%. In the 6 months after the contract was signed, appeals against unfair ticketing leapt up by a staggering 71%. Lambeth council’s parking revenue has doubled in the last year.

Cllr Sharon Malley, Lambeth Labour’s Lead spokesperson on Transport commented:

“More than 200 people have written to Labour Councillors expressing their outrage at these financial incentives. They are frustrated because they know that the system is unfair.”

“Everyone agrees that you need efficient parking enforcement to ease congestion and keep the roads safe. But Lambeth’s current system is designed primarily to make money for both the council and its private contractor. That money is coming directly from car drivers, many of whom are being unfairly fined.”

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