Motorists could be slapped with staggering £160 fines after huge changes to parking rules.
The change will see penalty charge notices (PCNs) in a major UK city rising by £30.
Londoners already pay huge penalties if they are caught violating parking restrictions.
Charges are categorised into severe Band A fines and less severe Band B fines, with both categories having lower and higher tiers.
In higher charge Band A areas, drivers can see penalties of up to £130 and in Band B areas drivers can be charged up to £110.
However, a new proposal has been signed off by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan which will raise the fines.
Higher-level Band A charges will be increased to £160 and lower-tier fines will be raised from £80 to 110.
Band B charges will be increased too.
Higher-tier Band B charges will be raised to £140 and lower Band B charges will be raised to £90.
Bus lane and moving traffic penalties will also rise to £160.
The change comes after London Councils – the representatives for the capital’s local authorities – asked City Hall to stop “anti-social and obstructive parking”.
Ahead of the increase in fines, City Hall have said: “PCNs are a vital way we keep London moving by deterring inconsiderate driving and protecting road space such as disabled bays”.
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan confirmed that the number of people receiving PCNs has increased by 50 per cent in the last 12 years, with enforcement costs also rising.
This has fuelled concern that the “penalty charge regime isn’t sufficiently recovering costs”.
The changes will need to be signed off by the Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander.
Ms Alexander made headlines in December 2024, when she named South Western Rail as the first to be renationalised by Labour.
The government hopes that nationalising rail will improve performance, hold down fares and create a “system that the British public can trust and be proud of again”.
PCN rises in London
PCNs will rise in London as City Hall hopes to cover enforcement costs.
Here are all of the PCNs which will rise in London:
Band A:
Higher level, rising from £130 to £160
Lower level, rising from £80 to £110
Band B:
Higher level, rising from £110 to £140
Lower level, rising from £60 to £90
Bus lane and moving traffic penalties
These fares will rise from £130 to £160
