PARKING TICKETS
Please note that all parking tickets for hire cars given to our customers will need to be paid by the customer. We may only receive these notifications two weeks after the offence has been committed but we will notify you as soon as possible about the amount to be paid to the issuer of the fine. You will also incur an administration fee, which will be debited from the credit/debit card details we have on record. You may have left the UK by the time we get the tickets but we will e-mail the details and be here to answer any queries you may have regarding the ticket.
It is always annoying to get parking tickets and here in the UK we are plagued by vigilant traffic wardens who are merciless. I am sure they must be on commission as parking fines are a huge cash cow for the government and councils.
To save all the hassle, paperwork, and expense which YOU are liable for please try and avoid parking where you shouldn’t!
In the UK you cannot park on :-
1) double yellow lines.
2) single yellow lines.
3) yellow box sections at road junctions.
4) private parking areas.
5) some retail parks where there is a time limit.
6) residents parking streets where a permit is required.
7) in taxi ranks or bus stops
Wherever you do park in the UK there will be a notice telling you if the road is restricted or if a car park has a time limit. This is normally a small blue notice on top of a pole. It may say something like “parking max of two hours” or whatever the time limit is. In most city centres there are ‘pay and display’ machines where you can buy a ticket and place it in your windscreen.
If you are sensible and choose your parking spot carefully you will escape any charges.
Please note these charges escalate if not paid and can end up hundreds of pounds if ignored.
If in doubt about where to park ask somebody, preferably a traffic warden, who will explain where to park.
Parking tickets are avoidable so please double check where you park and if in doubt ask a local person. It will save you the annoyance of paying a large fine.
CONGESTION CHARGES
These charges are primarily for London city centre but may be extended to other cities soon.
The congestion area in London is clearly defined and you MUST NOT enter this zone unless you have pre paid to enter or pay before midnight of the day you enter
the zone. The zone is clearly marked on the road with a huge C painted on the road plus poles at each side of the road identifying the zone. Penalty charges are massive for entering the zone without paying so do not do it. If you do you will receive a fine which we have to pay straight to stop it increasing. This will be recharged to the hirer and will also incur an administration charge which will be debited from the credit/debit card details we have on record .
You can buy a permit by the following methods:-
1) register and pay on line www.tfl.gov.uk This can be done up to 90 days in advance.
2) by phone 0845 900 1234
3) any shop displaying the congestion charge sign or the e pay logo. It is a £10 charge if you pay on the day Also if you enter the congestion zone you can STILL pay the charge, as long as you pay before midnight of the day you have entered the zone.
4) by SMS but you need to pre register in advance by going on line. Text number is 81099
All our branches, particularly Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, will be able to advise you how to avoid infringing this zone. We have maps to help you and we will explain anything you need to know. Penalties are high and we will need to debit your card for the charges.
Congestion penalties are completely avoidable so please make sure you pay Transport For London (TFL) for entering the congestion area of London city centre.
SPEEDING OFFENCES
These are considered serious offences in the UK and are completely avoidable. Not only will you receive a large fine but your license will be endorsed by 3 points.
After 12 points you will be banned from driving in the UK.
All roads are clearly marked with speed limits. Most roads have cameras which log your speed then send us details of the fine incurred. We then debit your card for
the amount plus an administration charge.
To try and help you these are the speeds normally enforced in the UK:-
1) City and towns are normally 30 mph but some villages and towns are now 20 mph. These speed limits are clearly shown on poles at the side of the road.
2) Dual carriage ways are normally 50 mph.
3) Motorways are 70 mph.
There is no need to worry about speeding as long as you follow the signs clearly marked at the side of each road.
BUS LANES
It is an offence to drive in a bus lane in the UK. Fines are issued to drivers caught using them.
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses on certain days and times and are generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. Some bus lanes operate at certain times of the day only, vehicles must not use bus lanes during the time they’re operational. Bus lanes may be marked in several ways. They must be demarcated by lines on the road, road signs may warn that they are bus lanes on certain days and times; descriptive text ie “BUS LANE” may be marked prominently on the road.
When can I enter a bus lane?
1) During non operational times. The times of operation are indicated on the sign
2) If you want to turn left within 20 meters of the junction – an arrow or a doted white line will indicate if this is allowed
3) If avoiding road works or emergency vehicles.
As long as you follow the above you should not incur bus lane charges.