Parking, bus lane and bus gate enforcement

Vehicle Removals (Tow Away) – A Local Authority may by Notice restrict or temporarily prohibit the use of the road, or any part of it where it appears that it is necessary or expedient because works are due to be carried out on or near the road. During the work, all waiting on the highway will be prohibited and any vehicles that remain will be issued with a parking ticket which incurs a fine of £70 and may be removed or impounded. A Civil Enforcement Officer working on behalf of the Local Authority is empowered to authorise the removal of vehicles that are parked in contravention of a parking restriction. The vehicle owner will be liable for payment of the removal fee and daily storage fees, in addition to the penalty charge, before the vehicle is released from the pound.  

Some vehicle owners contravene parking regulations deliberately and often and fail to settle the debts they incur. Regulations made under legislation (the Traffic Management Act 2004) allow local authorities to remove vehicles (tow away) that belong to persistent evaders and vehicles that are parked where they are causing an obstruction/hazard to traffic. The benefit of removal is that it requires proof of ownership and a registered address before the vehicle is released. A vehicle owner can be classed as a ‘persistent evader’ if there are three or more recorded contraventions for the vehicle where the penalty charge notices (PCNs) have not been paid, represented against or appealed against within the statutory time limits, or their representations and appeals have been rejected but they have still not been paid. When a persistent evader is parked in contravention, it should be subject to the strongest possible enforcement by removing the vehicle to the pound.

The legislation also makes provision for the DVLA to devolve powers to Local Authorities and the Police to help tackle the problem of untaxed vehicles, by removing them to a storage compound.

Coventry City Council has adopted the powers to remove persistent evaders, obstructive/hazardous vehicles, and vehicles that are causing an obstruction to planned highway maintenance work.

Read the Cabinet Member Report

Operational procedure