Parking and Traffic Fine Rates to Be Increased

Cross-London rise will see higher level penalties at £160

The new charges come into effect on 7 April

March 14, 2025

Hounslow Council has announced that it will be making an across-the-board increase to parking and traffic penalty charges of £30 as of Monday 7 April.

The move, which is also taking place in the other 32 local authorities in London, was enabled by a decision of the Transport and Environment Committee of the Greater London Assembly. It is the first review of the level of fines borough have allowed to charge for 15 years and charges in Hounslow have been the same for 11 years.

Parking offences are put into two categories with ‘higher’ level offences such as parking on yellow lines or causing an obstruction receiving higher fines whereas ‘lower’ level offences such as staying beyond a period of parking for which you have paid for incur a reduced charge.

The increase also includes Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for moving traffic violations such as entering a bus lane, a road where access restrictions apply or incorrect use of a yellow junction box.

Like most London boroughs Hounslow is a Band A borough which means that the charge for PCNs will increase from £130 to £160, while lower-level penalties will increase from £80 to £110. The same rates apply in Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham.

These fines are discounted by 50% if you pay within 14 days from when the PCN is issued.

The cost to get a clamp removed in all Band A boroughs will rise from £70 to £100, and the cost to release your vehicle from a car pound rises from £200 to £280 with a £55 daily storage fee..

The money raised by PCNs cannot go into general funds and must be reinvested in traffic and transport schemes. Much of the fine income goes towards paying for the Freedom Pass

Councillor Shivraj Grewal, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Recycling and Transformation, said, “We are committed to making Hounslow and London’s roads safer for everyone, which is why we are working together to tackle anti-social drivers. With these new, higher penalties in place, we hope that those drivers will now think before driving dangerously or parking inconsiderately – or be ready to pay hefty fines.”