A senior Dundee councillor has denied the city is profiteering from a massive upsurge in the number of parking tickets issued to motorists.
Councillor Will Dawson, convener of the city development committee, was speaking after figures obtained by The Courier revealed parking wardens hit motorists with nearly 30,000 fines over the past 12 months up from 23,180 the year before.
Labour group leader Kevin Keenan accused the council of deliberately targeting motorists to bring in extra revenue. Mr Dawson has denied that suggestion and said any money raised through fines cannot be used to top up the council’s coffers.
“The vast majority of people within our city park well and obey the rules,” he said. “The restrictions have to be in place to ensure the emergency services can gain access, businesses have the use of loading bays, shoppers have access to short-term parking bays and that buses can gain access to the city and so on.
“Without these restrictions, we would find the city very quickly becoming gridlocked. We have to ensure that indiscriminate and potentially dangerous parking is dealt with.”
Mr Dawson added motorists who believe their fines are unfair can appeal but added: “Our attendants ensure they have photographic evidence when giving out the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) which will assist in that process.
“Enforcement is handled by a professional team of parking attendants who work under very challenging circumstances.
“The money collected from the issues of PCNs cannot legally be used to bolster the coffers of the council and must go back into transportation, therefore helping to pay for things such as car parks and infrastructure such as signs and lines.”
Mr Dawson continued: “Dundee is the only city in Scotland that produces an annual parking summary, which illustrates our commitment to transparency over this matter. In this report we highlight where we issue PCNs and for what reasons. This is a freely-available document, which can be located on the council’s website.”
The Courier revealed wardens visit Dock Street an average of 10 times a day more often than any other place in the city. Mr Dawson said: “With regards to Dock Street, we have issues surrounding the access to City Quay due to the ongoing waterfront works and this area is visited very frequently to ensure commuters are not taking up spaces designed for residents.
“We are not being aggressive in any way, shape or form when it comes to enforcement, however, through new working practices, we are now able to enforce more efficiently. My advice to drivers is to park in the correct areas and don’t risk a fine.”