Following a 50 per cent increase in the number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued across London, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has called on its members to train their drivers to improve their awareness of PCN hotspots and avoid hefty fines. Companies delivering goods on the roadside in the capital are at most risk of receiving a penalty charge notice, albeit somewhat innocently, according to the FTA. Many of these fines are often successfully appealed, but this in itself is a drain on resource and many fines are still upheld, resulting in a payout of many millions of pounds each year. Following the PCN Survey 2012, commissioned by the FTA, the 27 businesses surveyed revealed they had forked out £2.9 million in penalty charge notice fines and the increase in fine-related costs is in line with the soaring numbers of PCNs issued throughout London. The report also revealed that only a third of London's enforcement authorities accounted for 80 per cent of all PCNs issued. The authorities most likely to issue PCNs were the London Borough of Westminster, London Borough of Camden, City of London and Transport for London. Within the survey contained locations where drivers were more likely to receive PCNs, providing vital information for fleet manager and drivers to be extra vigilant in particular areas with regards to parking restrictions. Natalie Chapman, head of policy for London at the FTA, said: "Commercial vehicle operators have grown smarter when dealing with the problems of making deliveries in the unfriendly roadside environment of central London, but the findings of the survey suggest that there is a need for them to improve their understanding of how certain parking restrictions apply. "As well as training drivers and identifying PCN hotspots, a well-targeted and intelligent approach to appealing unfair PCNs could save some companies hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. "It is equally important for local authorities to ensure that there is sufficient kerbside space and facilities for deliveries, and for Civil Enforcement Officers to understand why trucks and vans may be in a restricted parking area in the first place, and to apply some common sense when issuing tickets."
