Parking

Westminster rolls out common sense parking

On Thursday 31 January 2008, we are rolling out a series of measures designed to make life easier for motorists parking in central London.

• Five minute allowance for resident permit holders on single yellow lines
  
• Resident permit holders parked in a suspended bay
  
• Extended grace period for white disabled badge renewals

Five minute allowance for resident permit holders on single yellow lines

For a six month period, resident permit holders will be given a five minute allowance when stopping on single yellow lines to collect or pick up passengers, or load and unload.

This means that parking attendants will allow resident permit holders to be away from their car for up to five minutes if they are doing legitimate loading and unloading. This does not include activities such as buying a newspaper, using a cashpoint, or unloading groceries. A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will be issued to those who leave their vehicle parked.

Resident permit holders must be displaying a valid resident permit for that zone, and be stopped on a single yellow line that does not have any loading restrictions in place.

If no loading or unloading is noted after five minutes, the parking attendant will issue a PCN.

This move comes after comments from Westminster residents that they sometimes need to leave their vehicles unattended for a short time when carrying out loading and unloading.

I want to know more about loading and unloading on a single yellow line.

Resident permit holders parked in a suspended bay

No PCN will be issued to resident permit holders who park in suspended bays in their own zone for the first two days of a suspension.

As motorists are not always aware that a suspension has been put in place, we will try and contact the resident permit holder to ask them to move their car.

A PCN will only be issued as a last resort on the third day of a suspension, and the vehicle removed to the car pound if there is no possibility to relocate it nearby.

I want to know more about where I can park with a resident permit.

Extended grace period for white disabled badge renewals

White disabled badge holders now have a month to renew their expired permits.

This is to give them extra time as they may need assistance with filling out an application, or need to provide additional information.

I want to know more about applying for and renewing a white disabled badge.