Are Havering Motorists Losing Their Tempers And Money On Parking Tickets?

Parking tickets have become the ultimate frustration for Havering residents, with thousands returning to their cars only to find a bright yellow envelope slapped on the windscreen despite doing everything right. Yet these tickets have generated a whopping £5million. The Havering Council Parking Account 2023/2024 shows income from PCN’s was £4,980,770.

Latest figures show just how bad the situation has become. Havering issued around 183,000 PCNs last year, and 29% of them roughly 53,000, were challenged by angry motorists who insisted they had been ticketed unfairly. Out of those challenges, around 19,000 were successful, meaning the tickets were cancelled, proving that residents are not imagining the problem.

Drivers across the borough describe the same familiar scene. They pay for their ticket, display it properly, and head off, only to return and find a warden strolling away after issuing a fine. When confronted, many residents say they are simply told to “appeal it,” leaving them infuriated and feeling unheard.

One of the most outrageous examples came from Hornchurch, where dozens of theatre-goers attended a tribute concert at the Queen’s Theatre. Every one of them paid for parking. Many of them returned to find a parking ticket waiting. Confused and furious, they compared notes only to discover that all of them had been penalised despite following the rules. Many went on to challenge their tickets, joining the thousands of Havering motorists spending hours fighting fines they never should have received.

With more than a quarter of all Havering PCNs being appealed and a significant chunk overturned, residents say this isn’t just annoyance, it’s a pattern. For many, the constant threat of an incorrect ticket has turned everyday errands into a gamble.

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