Story: RICHARD DAVIES

Councils in England made a surplus of £511 million on their parking operations in 2010/11, according to an RAC Foundation report*. This was up from the £489 million made in 2009/10.

Only 57 out of 371 local authorities made a loss on their parking operations.

So for most councils, it’s a money spinner.

Our love/hate relationship with parking regs

To the powers that be, ‘emissions’ is the big motoring issue of our time. But to the motoring public, parking and congestion beats that into a cocked hat. It’s contentious, and arouses strong feelings, at least if you believe the local press.

For small businesses who need to park at a place of work or make collections and deliveries, it is doubly trying.

In spite of this, little real data exists – one of the reasons for the RAC’s report. There are 27 million cars in the UK, and another 3 million light vans. On average they spend 96.5% of their lives parked, and they make an eye-watering 25 billion journeys each year that by definition involve a parking space at each end.

• When asked about their own area, most people approve of parking restrictions. Many think enforcement should be more rigid.

No surprise then that it’s an issue. But it’s an issue full of contradictions. 94% of ‘parking acts’ as the report calls them are free, according to the National Traffic Survey. Of the 6% that incur a cost, nearly a half are under £1, and over 80% are under £3. On average, we spend about £42 a year on parking each car – hardly a company car finance problem compared with the £1600 we spend on fuel. So why the outcry when councils put up charges? Or impose them when it used to be free?

The report includes a rare insight into public attitudes about parking from the Department for Transport. Despite the widespread view that parking restrictions are oppressive and unfair, when asked about restrictions in their own area, two thirds of people said that they thought they were about right.

Most people (60%) also thought the level of enforcement was about right, with the rest equally split between those who said it was too rigid and those who said it was too lenient.

When the traffic wardens were sacked

If you think we’d be better off without parking restrictions, look at what happened in the Welsh seaside university town of Aberystwyth.

In May 2011 the town’s traffic wardens were laid off when responsibility passed from the police to the local authority; no tickets were issued for a year. But in June this year they were welcomed back with open arms by shop-keepers, residents and businesses with small fleets after the free-for-all led to parking on pavements, yellow lines, disabled bays and even Zebra crossings. The local paper –  Cambrian News – ran a Street of Shame campaign for the worst offenders. Streets were blocked, and businesses suffered. There were confrontations and even fights between drivers.

We may not like parking constraints or those who enforce them, but living without them could be even worse. We may even have to accept that it’s better for councils to make a profit than a loss if it keeps the system working.

*Spaced Out – Perspectives on Parking Policy