Clampdown on fine dodgers

Council bosses are set to introduce a new regime which will see cars immobilised and their owners hit with a 70 bill.

Ultimately, the parking cheats could see their cars scrapped if they fail to pay up.

It will be the first time in recent years in Scotland that motorists have been clamped for failure to pay parking tickets and comes just months after the Scottish Courts Service began clamping drivers for unpaid fines relating to road traffic offences.

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Around 100 drivers in the Capital currently have around 20 or more outstanding tickets, depriving the council of more than 100,000 in lost revenue.

Under the new system, persistent parking offenders will have their vehicle clamped and will need to pay a 40 release fee and a 30 parking ticket.

The driver will also have to provide proof of ownership and a current address, allowing all outstanding charges to be pursued.

Neil Greig, spokesman for the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said the organisation had always seen clamping as the "ultimate deterrent".

He said: "We're quite supportive of targeting the repeat offenders. Most drivers will understand if somebody is wantonly disregarding the restrictions and they should be clamped."

But he said there were concerns about the "disproportionate" use of clamping to target motorists with just a small number of fines.

According to parking bosses, a large number of evaders do not currently have their vehicles registered with the DVLA, meaning they cannot be traced for unpaid parking fines.

While the DVLA does have the power to clamp untaxed vehicles, the Edinburgh scheme will be the first time a Scottish local authority has had the power to impound cars for unpaid parking tickets.

Clamped cars will be prioritised for impounding and, if not reclaimed, will be scrapped.

Private firm NSL Services will carry out the work.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the council's transport convener, said: "We are going to implement a trial clamping scheme for people who persistently fail to pay parking fines."

He said he hoped the scheme, which is running as a trial from the autumn, would be effective in dealing with "fine dodgers".

On Friday the Evening News revealed that council bosses hope to take over the monitoring of bus lanes from the police, securing income from drivers who flout the restrictions on the Greenways.