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Nine out of ten councils don’t plan to extend parking bay sizes

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Fewer than 1-in-10 UK councils (8.2%) have plans to extend the dimensions of their parking bays, even supposing automobiles are getting greater – that’s based on information completely obtained by Autocar. 

Data from a Freedom of Information request reveals drivers of bigger automobiles will discover it more and more onerous to park their automobile with out risking punishment if the present pattern of rising automobile dimensions continues. 

Analysing how the sizes of a few of the UK’s hottest fashions have modified since 2018, Autocar in contrast the sizes of a pattern of 27 automobiles offered within the UK. It discovered that they had elevated in size by a median of 97.6mm (3.8 inches). 

The automobile within the pattern which has grown probably the most is the Peugeot 208, which is sort of 580mm (22.8in) longer than it was in 2018. 

The BMW 7 Series has grown practically a foot longer, which means it’s too lengthy for the overwhelming majority of parking areas within the UK.

Standard off-street parking bays measure 2.40 metres broad by 4.80 metres lengthy, and 7 out of the highest 10 best-selling automobile manufacturers within the UK final 12 months produce automobiles that exceed this size.

To make issues worse, 5 UK councils already impose most size restrictions on autos, placing the drivers of many big-selling fashions vulnerable to receiving fines when utilizing council-run amenities. 

Of the 287 councils that responded to Autocar’s request, 1.7% expressly ban automobiles exceeding a selected size, starting from as little as 5.00 metres as much as 5.35 metres. 

That means fashions together with the Tesla Model X, Mercedes S Class and Range Rover are unparkable in council-run amenities in Wokingham, South Hams, and Broadland and South Norfolk.

Since 2018, Autocar discovered that councils have issued greater than 357,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for automobiles parked exterior marked bays since 2018, raking in additional than £8m over this era.

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London earns £8.5m from pavement parking fines in 2023

London councils have earned almost £8.5 million from pavement parking fines in 2023, in keeping with knowledge obtained by Autocar.

A Freedom of Information request uncovered that within the 12 months main as much as November, £8,443,068 was earned by councils in London from penalty cost notices (PCNs) given to drivers who parked on a pavement.

Newham was discovered to be the preferred borough for such infractions, with greater than 21,000 PCNs issued – almost half of which (45%) have not but been paid. 

Further analysis by Autocar revealed that almost a 3rd of all of the fines issued throughout London throughout that interval hadn’t been paid, with 167,066 issued and 111,495 paid.

Despite this, Newham council nonetheless earned £936,391 from pavement parking fines between January and November 2023.

Fines are handed to drivers discovered to be in breach of parking contravention code 62, which prevents vehicles from being parked with a number of wheels on the pavement. 

The regulation additionally bans parking on footways, on footpaths, in entrance of dropped kerbs or on raised carriageways and is enforced all 12 months spherical.

Last week, this got here into drive in Scotland, with its authorities introducing a regulation that may make offenders pay as much as £100.

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw mentioned: “Scotland is following London’s lead by clamping down on pavement parking, which might have critical penalties for pedestrians – particularly these with decreased mobility.

“Drivers throughout the nation – in each rural and concrete areas – want to grasp the principles to keep away from being fined.”

In the capital, fines gathered from parking infractions are certain by regulation to be put again into the mayor’s transport technique, which was launched in 2018 and includes an enchancment in public transport and jobs and houses created for London residents. 

The cash will due to this fact be invested in off-street parking, public transport providers and freeway upkeep.

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Majority of UK councils lack kerbside EV chargers

According to a recent investigation by Vauxhall, over two thirds of UK councils have not yet installed any kerbside electric vehicle (EV) chargers. This is concerning considering the UK government’s ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered cars will take effect in just over six years.

The investigation found that 69% of councils do not have on-street chargepoints, and 71.6% do not have a published strategy for on-street residential charging.

Out of the councils that responded, 45% said they had no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.

Data from Zapmap and the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that as of July 1, only 34% of the UK’s 44,020 public chargepoints were designated as on-street chargers.

While the Energy Saving Trust estimates that 80% of EV charging is done at home and a 2022 survey by Zapmap revealed that 84% of existing EV drivers have a home charger, approximately 40% of UK households do not have a driveway or access to dedicated off-street parking to install a private chargepoint. This number rises to 60% in urban areas.

Starting in 2024, the UK will require 22% of all new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles. This will increase annually, reaching 80% in 2030 and 100% in 2035. For vans, the requirements will start at 10% in 2024 and reach 70% in 2030.

New petrol and diesel car sales will be banned in 2030, while sales of hybrids with significant zero-emission capabilities will be prohibited five years later. These measures will further increase the demand for charging infrastructure.

As per the Vauxhall investigation, there are plans to install 14,188 new chargers across 289 councils by the end of this year. If this forecast is met, the UK will have around 60,000 public chargers by the end of 2023, compared to the 37,055 devices that were installed as of January 1, 2023, according to Zapmap.