(LD):...I
very much agree with the Minister: we need to ensure that these
penalties are a means to achieve those objectives on congestion
and safety, not a revenue raiser. I welcome the protections that
have been put in place. the
AA has done a huge amount of work gathering data on
all this. One of the things it has found is that most drivers
faced with a penalty just pay up even where they do not believe
that they have done anything wrong or think that they have a good
mitigating reason; because they are afraid of the penalty going
up if they do not pay immediately, they decide that it is easier
to pay. That is concerning.
Similarly, in its data gathering, the
AA has picked up locations where the volume of
violations is such that it suggests there is a problem with
either the layout or the signage. Clearly something should be
done about that, not just simply issuing more and more fines. It
argues for a sort of automatic review mechanism when particular
locations reach a certain point. I wonder whether the department
has thought about that. the
AA also argues that first-time offenders should
receive a warning letter no matter how long the measures have
been in place, not just within six months. Again, I wonder what
the Government have thought about this...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Transport () (Con):...That
slightly leads on to the point raised by the noble Baroness, Lady
Scott. The guidance that we will complete will set out all sorts
of things in relation to operating these regulations
appropriately. I have mentioned those areas where there is lots
of contravention. We have worked closely with the sector on the
development of the detailed statutory guidance. We have had input
from a wide range of stakeholders, including the motoring
groups—the RAC and the
AA have been very involved—and local government:
the Local Government Association and local councils. We have also
been in touch with and talked to active travel groups, including
Sustrans, British Cycling and Living Streets, as well as the
British Parking Association and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
Clearly, we have to get this guidance right. We need to make sure
we have the right level of enforcement and in the right places...
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