Parking fines repaid as CCTV proves not so smart
8:42am Saturday 19th July 2008
Almost a fifth of drivers caught parking illegally by a CCTV Smart car have had their fines revoked.
Figures released to our paper this week show the Richmond Council-run car has raked in £260,890 in the last year after 6,015 penalty notices were issued.
However, of that figure 1,174 were appealed against - 226 by motorists and 932 by the council itself as it was unable to take any further action, either due to lack of information on the vehicle owner or because upon viewing the picture it was deemed the contraventions had not occurred.
The remaining 16 fines have been re-opened after new information has come to light.
Mark Humphreys, 44, has fought since March to have a fine overturned which he was issued while dropping his daughter, Caitlin, off outside Stanley Junior School in Teddington.
He has criticised the council for penalising law-abiding motorists when the authority's own vehicle does not adhere to the restrictions.
"I think it's disgusting," he said. "They the council said no car can park outside the school because it's a danger to children."
Mr Humphreys, who works as a policeman at Heathrow and snapped the Smart car on yellow lines last month, continued: "Where I was parked there are no zig-zags. It is outside the controlled zone which is obvious if you got out of your car and looked."
It took him numerous phone calls, letters and appeals until he finally got a letter last month stating it had been cancelled "due to an error made by the civil enforcement officer."
Mr Humphreys, of Blandford Road, Teddington, said: "Hurrah at last, but no apology for all the stress and hassle of this.
"If I was an elderly or frail person and received these quite threatening letters I would have probably paid up through worry especially the one about courts and bailiffs."
A Richmond Council spokesman said it could not comment on individual cases but added: "The Smart car, like any council vehicle, is permitted to park on double yellow lines if this is necessary for carrying out its work."
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