The true cost of PCNs
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I would like to take up a couple of issues with the article 'London PCNs soar to an all-time high' (CM 10 July).
1. The number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued by the City of Westminster has not fallen by 50%. This statistic applies to one code used to penalise commercial vehicles. Code 01 ("parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours"), which is not the real code appertaining to loading/unloading infringements, and only accounts for approximately 7% of all PCNs issued to brewery drays. Code 02, out of interest, accounts for 42% of all PCNs issued.
2. You wrote that "tickets issued by parking attendants (PM) are costing hauliers more than £2m a year", but this applies solely to Brewery Logistics Group members; all "hauliers" nationally pay in excess of £600m per annum, including administration costs, and it is estimated that 95% of this figure applies to London.
It is interesting to note that Westminster stated it has briefed its PM to make them fully aware of the borders; as it has held this contract for more than four years, it seems a little late to be ensuring that its operatives know where and where not to operate.
Also, looking back over the records, I see that [PM ticketing outside their boundaries] first happened in Goodge Street in December 2005, so in three-and-a-half years it still hasn't got across the correct areas of activity to its employees.