Van drivers in the UK have been fined some £1.7m (US$2m) over the past three years for incorrectly parking or stopping in a loading bay, according to research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
The research also found that almost a quarter of appeals against penalty charge notices for incorrect use of a loading bay were successful.
A total of 45 councils responded to a freedom of information request out of 51 contacted for the research.
Glasgow issued the most penalty charge notices (PCNs) (106,752) between 2015-2018, followed by Manchester (39,125) and Haringey (30,869).
Haringey was one of four London councils in the top 10 – the others were Newham, Camden and Barnet.
Councils have issued an average of 13,000 parking fines a year since 2015 with figures rising by 10% year-on-year – highlighting how the rules around loading bays are increasingly unclear for van drivers.
Volkswagen’s Sarah Cox, said: “As this research reveals, PCNs are costing businesses thousands of pounds a year when, in fact, they can be avoided completely if you understand the rules correctly. Loading bays are an essential part of the red route network as they allow businesses to access central locations to make and receive important deliveries. As the rules change between councils, it is crucial that you check before you park.”
Total number of PCNs issued for offence code ‘stopping / parking in loading bay’ over the last three years (2015 – 2018)
Glasgow 106,752
Manchester 39,125
Haringey 30,869
Bristol 27,749
Liverpool 15,567
Nottingham 14,435
Leicester 13,234
Newham 11,544
Camden 8,799
Barnet 7,177
Source: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
