CPZ Price Hike 'Bamboozle'

Council urged to justify parking permit increases

Ealing residents say the council should come clean over the amount they are making on Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs).

It follows the announcement that the cost of permits will be going up by 66% next year.

Those in zones that are in operation two hours a day,will have to pay £40 a year and all day CPZs will cost £75.

Ealing claim they are paying around £750,000 each year towards running the zones and have produced a cost breakdown which they say justifies the increase. However these figures have been challenged.

Chair of Kingsdown Residents Association Judy Breens has pointed to the Parking Services Annual Report which she says shows that the 2008/9 parking account surplus is almost £6 million.

She says, '' Cllr Bassam Mahfouz says the cost of operating CPZs is being subsidised by all, including non driving, council tax payers. This is nonsense. There would be a very small PCN (penalty charge notice) income were it not for CPZs.

''The reality is that the Council make money from CPZs. This has always been accepted and claimed to be "ring fenced" for transport issues (the Freedom Pass bill to the GLA for one) There may be a case for a small increase to cover the rise in CPZ admin costs but not to almost doubling it.''

A spokesperson for the Council said, "The two tables are not comparing like with like, the parking statement refers to all activity the parking service carries out across the whole
and not just in CPZ areas. For example if you look at the income figure it includes all types income for the whole borough and all enforcement types such as bus lane PCNs and traffic contravention as well car parks charges. The parking statement also includes all the
service expenditure across all activities. "

September 22, 2010