Express & Star

Revealed: Wolverhampton road where drivers are handed the most parking tickets

Wolverhampton Council has been accused of treating a city centre road as a "cash cow" after raking in more than £13,000 from parking tickets.

Published
Drivers parking in Waterloo Road have been fined hundreds of times

In the 2017/18 financial year, the authority handed out more than 550 tickets to drivers parked in Waterloo Road, more than any other road in the city.

The council insists the route produces the most fines because it is a "busy road" that is "routinely monitored". However bosses have been accused of a "war against motorists."

Of the 559 fines handed to drivers last year, 65 per cent have already been paid, raking in £13,489 for the council. The authority says the money made is used to cover the costs of maintaining parking services, with any leftover money reinvested into the city's highways network.

The remaining 35 per cent of fines have either been cancelled or remain unpaid.

A spokesman for Wolverhampton Council said: "Waterloo Road is a busy city centre road with a series of time limited spaces. As a major route in and out of the city, it is routinely monitored in order to maintain an efficient flow of traffic especially at peak times.

“Income raised from enforcement is used to cover the costs of the service including car park maintenance and security and any surplus is reinvested into highways improvements."

However the Labour-run authority has been criticised by the Liberal Democrats, who uncovered the parking fine figures through a Freedom of Information request.

Local campaigner Rob Quarmby has called for an end to the "vicious cycle" of drivers being fined and being put off visiting the city centre.

He told the Express & Star: "It seems that Waterloo road is being turned into cash cow avenue as the council try and squeeze motorists for every penny.

"It's yet more evidence of Labour run Wolverhampton council's war against motorists. The more fines they give out like confetti the more likely that drivers avoid the town centre and go elsewhere. The vicious cycle needs to end."