The FSB responded to an online consultation by London Councils calling for increased parking penalties during the 2012 Games.
Read our press release which accompanied the consultation response to oppose the changes
Below is a statement from London Councils on parking policy during the 2012 Games
"During the 2012 Games, all of London's transport authorities will be working hard to make the transport system meet the needs of the Games as well as meeting the continuing needs of London's residents and businesses. Key to this will be managing London's road network. The Olympic Route Network (ORN), covering some 109 miles, is needed to ensure the games can function by enabling athletes and team and games officials to reach their venues efficiently and reliably. Along this network all parking and loading will be more tightly managed than at present and night time deliveries are being encouraged. As much space as possible will be made available for parking and loading, but where this is not permitted a higher deterrent is needed to ensure that traffic flowing along these roads is not delayed. This will mean higher parking penalties and a greater reliance on towing away where vehicles are causing an obstruction.
Between them, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and TfL are responsible for the overwhelming majority of the ORN and they have proposed a penalty of £200 for parking and traffic contraventions along their sections of the network. On borough roads which form part of the ORN, the ODA has also proposed a £200 penalty, where additional controls have been introduced for the Games period. London Councils has also proposed the same figure for the remaining parts of the ORN, not least to avoid confusion as it will be almost impossible for drivers on the street to know on which parts of the ORN the £200 penalty applies and where the penalty is only £130.
The increased penalties will be in place only for the three weeks of the Olympic Games and the two weeks of the Paralympic Games and drivers can avoid these entirely by stopping to park to load or unload where this is legal. As a general rule, for night time deliveries, loading restrictions will only be in place where they are needed 24-hours a day, such as on main roads or at busy junctions, though drivers should also check the signs before parking.
Around the main venues the focus is on protecting local businesses and residents by discouraging spectators from coming by car, leaving the available parking and loading areas for local use. In part this is being addressed by encouraging spectators to use public transport – every ticket holder will get a one-day travelcard as part of their ticket. But there will be a need for increased enforcement of parking and traffic regulations surrounding the venues, focussing on spectators who have parked illegally.
Spectators going to traditional venues, such as Wembley, or to central London, are generally quite used to the idea that they shouldn't drive there and existing arrangements in those areas to manage the road network and protect local residents and businesses should suffice. However, the venues in East London are either new or have not been used for events of this scale before. More spectators will be unfamiliar with the public transport arrangements and will be tempted to have a go at driving to the venue and parking there. For four people travelling together, even getting a parking ticket at current rates could mean paying only about £16 each (because of the 50% discount for prompt payment) which, as part of a good day out, will not act as any sort of effective deterrent.
London Councils has, therefore, proposed a £200 penalty for parking and traffic contraventions in the areas immediately surrounding the East London venues – the Olympic Park, ExCel, Greenwich Park, North Greenwich Arena and the Royal Artillery Barracks. This will be accompanied by a more effective towing away regime focussed particularly on non-residents causing an obstruction. The higher costs of this will be reflected in a higher removal fee, increasing from £200 to £300.
As with the ORN, these increased penalties and charges will apply only during the three weeks of the Olympic Games and two weeks of the Paralympic Games, and can be avoided entirely if drivers park and load where it is legal to do so."