Number of cars seized by city hits three-year high

Published on Wednesday 18 May 2011 17:05

THE number of cars being impounded has risen to its highest level in three years, earning the council more than £500,000.

Figures obtained by the Evening News show there were 2788 vehicles uplifted by the council between April last year and March.

The figure represents a five per cent rise on the previous year and a 12 per cent rise on the total from 2008-9. Among those targeted were hundreds of parking cheats, who repeatedly failed to pay fines.

Council bosses are soon expected to introduce a new clamping regime to give them even more powers to tackle persistent offenders.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city's transport convener, said impounding vehicles only went so far.

He said: "As these figures demonstrate, we do catch up with persistent parking fine evaders but often, due to the size of their vehicle or how it is parked, it is not always possible to tow them away.

"With the introduction of clamping in the coming weeks, we will be able to deal with fine dodgers more effectively."

Drivers are expected to pay a 150 fee for the return of their vehicle after it is impounded, along with a 30 parking ticket. There is a storage fee of 20 for every day the car is not collected.

The new figures, which were released under freedom of information laws, show cars were lifted for offences including parking on bus lanes, overstaying in a free bay or parking outside road markings.

There were more than 200 vehicles removed which belonged to "persistent evaders", according to the figures.

Earlier this month, it emerged there are around 40 drivers who owe more than 100,000 in unpaid fines between them.

One driver has 63 outstanding tickets, owing a total of 5670, while others with fewer tickets owe even more because they have not yet started to pay any of the money back.

Parking bosses say clamping is needed because a large number of evaders do not have their vehicles registered with the DVLA, meaning they cannot be traced for unpaid fines.

Clamping was effectively illegal in Scotland, but a 1998 legal amendment has given the council the power to immobilise vehicles in circumstances in which a fine is payable.

Philip Gomm, a spokesman for the RAC Foundation, said: "Most people would regard drivers who rack up 63 unpaid tickets as totally unreasonable, but the clamp should be the nuclear option, not the weapon of first resort."