Reading, UK –Labour-run local authority has issued an apology after it emerged that thousands of parking fines were wrongly handed out to drivers over more than a decade due to administrative errors.
An internal review conducted by Reading Borough Council revealed that 6,136 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were incorrectly issued between 2013 and 2024, stemming from problems with the borough’s Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), which govern parking restrictions and road management rules.
Motorists who paid these fines are entitled to claim a refund, including interest, starting next week. The council estimates that it will need to repay around £357,000 in total.
Reading Borough Council’s Chief Executive, Jackie Yates, apologised for the mistakes, saying, “We deeply regret the errors and are committed to ensuring this situation is not repeated. Parking enforcement in the affected areas was immediately paused when the issue with the TROs was identified, and we are taking steps to prevent this from happening again.”
The errors impacted five different areas at various times over the 11-year period:
- Kings Road and Wokingham Road: January 2018 to March 2024
- Waldeck Street and Swainstone Road permit zones: March 2016 to June 2024
- Red Route West (Tilehurst to West Reading): Seven days in May 2018
- Southcote verge and footway parking restrictions: August 2015 to June 2024
- Tilehurst and Kentwood verge and footway parking restrictions: November 2013 to June 2024
The issue was first identified earlier this year when a council staff member reported a defect in one of the TROs, leading to the discovery of the broader problem.
Motorists affected by the incorrect fines are urged to apply for refunds once the claims process opens next week.
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