We use cookies to understand how you use our website, to remember your settings and improve our services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. If you accept the cookies and then change your mind, you can remove them in your browser settings.

Parking myths

Here’s the truth behind some popular parking myths:

  • our civil enforcement officers do not get bonuses for issuing tickets. They are paid a salary
  • double yellow lines with double kerb ticks means no waiting at any time. You can, however, stop to let passengers in or out of your vehicle. This includes coaches
  • blue badges do not allow the user to park in a loading bay or close to a junction
  • when parked in a loading bay you have to be actively loading. If you have to put items away, you must move your vehicle to a legal parking space
  • you can be issued with a penalty charge notice at night, on Sundays and on bank holidays
  • on-street pay and display tickets cannot be used in car parks and vice-versa
  • blue badge users can park for up to three hours on a single or double yellow line where there are no kerb ticks in operation. A parking clock with the correct time of arrival must be displayed
  • you cannot park illegally to talk on the phone, go to the toilet, pop to the bank or buy your lunch
  • our civil enforcement officers record all vehicle registrations when checking a time-limited parking area. They will only issue a fine if your vehicle breaches the time restrictions
  • on-street pay and display restrictions apply from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Other restrictions, such as loading bays and yellow lines, still apply outside of these times
  • no new restrictions were put in place when we took over civil parking enforcement from the police.