Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Liverpool City Council has issued a statement clarifying that the decision to waive a woman’s parking fine, as showcased in a series of viral TikTok videos, was incorrect and should not be seen as a precedent for future fines being overturned. The council’s response follows TikTok campaigner Zoë Bread’s exposure of discrepancies in on-street parking signage in Liverpool city center and subsequent issuance of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to her on Bixteth Street on August 12, well after the termination of free evening parking in the area. Despite the rescinding of Bread’s fine, a council spokesperson emphasized that the decision was made in error and should not be extrapolated to other cases.
In July, Liverpool City Council revised the paid parking hours in its City Centre Controlled Parking Zone to run from 7am to 11pm, eliminating the previous free parking after 6pm. This change, despite facing significant opposition during the council’s consultation process with nearly 90% of locals opposing it, was implemented without regard to public sentiment. Bread leveraged her social media pseudonym, reflected in her slice of bread disguise, to challenge the council’s lack of clear signage during her parking incident and its failure to effectively communicate the rule change, causing confusion among both motorists and parking wardens in the city center.
Following her fine appeal and subsequent cancellation by the council on discretionary grounds, Bread aruged that the signage surrounding the parking changes was deliberately misleading in a bid to generate revenue. Recalling a similar confrontation with Manchester City Council over dubious pay-and-display signage earlier this year, Bread asserted that the council’s intention was to trap unsuspecting motorists. In response, a Liverpool City Council spokesperson acknowledged the error in accepting Bread’s appeal, attributing the decision to a deviation from the usual protocol and confirming that it will not set a precedent for future PCNs, while reiterating the necessity for motorists to adhere to local parking regulations.
Liverpool City Council’s handling of Zoë Bread’s parking fine case has sparked discussions around the clarity of parking regulations in the city and the responsibility of motorists to stay informed and compliant. While the cancellation of Bread’s fine represented an acknowledgment of flawed enforcement, the council stressed the importance of motorists familiarizing themselves with parking regulations and utilizing the resources provided by the council for on-street parking. The incident sheds light on the potential pitfalls of ambiguous signage and regulatory changes, underscoring the need for transparent communication to prevent confusion and avoid unjust fines for unwitting individuals
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.