Penalty Charge Notices

 

How to Avoid a Penalty Charge Notice

All of Tameside's Traffic Regulation Orders are clearly indicated by signs and road markings on the highway.
 
If you are in any doubt where, or for how long, you can legally park, check the road markings and signs, some of the more common ways to avoid a Penalty Charge Notice are listed below. However, this is not an exhaustive list.
 

• Check the times when parking is allowed
• Park fully within the markings of the bay
• Check that that the bay is not suspended - especially if you park there frequently
• Do not park without making payment at the nearest available pay and display machine. If the one closest to your car is showing out of order, then please use another machine nearby
• Do not leave your vehicle to go and get change for the pay and display machine
• Check that your pay and display voucher shows the expiry time before leaving your vehicle
• Do not leave more than one ticket or voucher on display - always remove expired ones
• Check that your ticket, permit or badge is properly displayed before you leave your vehicle
• Do not come back to your vehicle and insert additional coins into the pay and display machine if this is not permitted
• Before parking on a single yellow line, check the time plate allows you to do this
• Do not park on double yellow lines anytime day or night
• Do not park in a taxi bay
• Do not park in a disabled persons bay without a blue badge
• Do not park in a loading bay without loading or unloading
• Do not load or unload during restricted times
• Do not park in a dual use bay during restricted times
• Do not park in residents parking bay without a residents parking permit

 

Paying Parking Fines/Penalty Charge Notices

 

 

Representation and Appeal

Once a penalty notice has been issued, it cannot be cancelled by the Civil Enforcement Officer. Motorists who feel that a Penalty Charge has been issued wrongly have the right to make a representation/appeal to the Council.
 
The registered keeper or owner of the vehicle is liable to pay the PCN, not the driver. If you have not told the driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about a change of ownership, you should do so now.
 
If you believe that a Penalty Charge issued should not be paid and you wish to challenge (within 14 days from the date the notice was served/issued), please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page, or use the appeals form below.

 

 

If the Penalty charge is not paid or successfully challenged (after 14 days from when the notice was served/issued)
 
If the Penalty charge is not paid on or before the end of the 28 day period as specified on the front of the penalty notice or successfully challenged, the Council many serve a Notice to Owner (NTO) on the owner of the vehicle requiring payment of the penalty charge. The owner can then make representation to the Council against the penalty charge and may appeal to an independent adjudicator if those representations are rejected (the notice to owner will contain instructions for doing this).
 
If representations are received before a Notice to Owner is served they will be considered as per instructions above. However, once a NTO has been issued, representations must be made in the form, manner and at the time specified on the notice and the owner must follow the instructions carefully.
 
Further information about Civil Parking Enforcement (including PCN’s and NTO’s) is available online at www.patrol-uk.info/ 

The Council will assess each case and if it is found the penalty notice was not issued correctly, the ticket will be cancelled and no payment will be required. Alternatively, if the Council feels that the notice was issued correctly, then a letter will be sent explaining the reasons for the decision.
 
The Council will also explain at this stage how an appeal may be made to an adjudicator at www.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk  The adjudicators will consider each case and their decision is final.

The Council is a member of the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (Patrol) Adjudication Joint Committee.  The Joint Committee publishes an Annual Statement of Accounts which is subject to External Audit and the arrangements for 2014/15 can be found at the Patrol UK website 

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