The highest amount raised from any road in the UK according to report

Hounslow Council has responded to the reports that Chiswick High Road is ranked as the street in the UK with the highest number of PCNs, saying they do not shy away from issuing penalties to those who don't follow the rules of the road.

The Daily Express had quoted Government figures which reveal that £1.36 million was raised in a single year from penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued on motorists on Chiswick's main thoroughfare.

The figures, which are for the financial year 2013-2014, show that 23,780 fines were issued. The total raised exceeds the amount for the top ten roads in the UK outside London combined and includes fines for parking and bus lane violations.

The release of the data comes as Eric Pickles, the Minister at the Department of Communities and Local Government, has announced plans to require all Councils to allow motorists a 10 minute grace period before a PCN is issued.

A Hounslow Council spokesperson said: “Keeping traffic in and around the borough flowing is vital to ensure residents, businesses and visitors can get around as quickly and safely as possible. Traffic regulations are there for a reason. We enforce these fairly and responsibly but we do not shy away from issuing penalties to those who don’t follow the rules of the road.  

“Traffic enforcement is necessary to keep roads free from obstruction, particularly areas which are designated bus lanes. Obstructions in this area can make it difficult for a wheelchair user or someone with a pushchair to disembark safely onto the pavement, as well as increase the average journey time for all road users.”

This is the second year in a row that Chiswick High Road has topped the charts for fines on motorists. In 2012-3, the number of parking fines on Chiswick High Road was the highest in the country with Hounslow Council making £634,704 from 13,132 tickets. At the time, the Council claimed that the unwanted accolade was a result of a temporary spike in fines due to the need to keep the road clear during the closure of the Hammersmith Flyover. We have been unable to get a comment as yet from the Council on the latest figures.

One local trader in W4 said; "If our customers are paying those fines then they have less to spend in Chiswick, if half of those fines were spent in the local economy it would make a massive difference to the local shops."

Hounslow Council made £5,298,000 from PCNs related to on-street parking in 2013-2014 which is less that Ealing Council and only a third of that raised by Hammersmith & Fulham.

March 10, 2015