City Centre Parking!

Hello anyone out there with any advice... As a specialised same day courier service delivering urgent products/documents to businesses in City Centres and using a standard family saloon car (excellent on fuel & kind on the environment with a low CO2) everything is going like a dream. Only stumbling block I have come across is parking when delivering in city centres...as I use a car (logo's attached to both sides of vehicle and notice on dashboard stating my reason for being in city centre) I am unable to park in the loading bays (obviously not a goods vehicle/car derived van); parking on lines is generally a dodgy thing to do with the vehicle I use so I'm restricted to parking on-street and paying which, in Manchester, is £1.35 for 30mins. I'm often in and out of my customers in 5mins (never more than 10...have to wait for named person sometimes due to nature of documents!) I've contacted the council and got no answer other than to carry on paying! Anyone else had anything similar... Or any advice... Would be great to hear from you!

Robert

Hi Robert, I have the same issue as you, I have a Passat Estate and spoken to traffic wardens in M/Cr City Centre. They will ticket any car parked in a loading zone regardless of stickers or signs. Best pay the £1.35 as this is cheaper than a parking ticket and all the hassle that comes with it.

I'd just accept thats the way it is and when quoting a job add a couple of quid to the quote... Sorted... Or get a van ;0)

Get a van

Car gives wrong impression, something like a Bipper, fuel efficient and cheap like a car to run

RAPID LIGHT TRANSPORT LTD. said:

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Get a van

Car gives wrong impression, something like a Bipper, fuel efficient and cheap like a car to run

I disagree, I have had a lot of positive remarks made about my vehicle by customers, so I think its just couriers and courier companies that are anti car.

ParcelFast said:

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I am unable to park in the loading bays (obviously not a goods vehicle/car derived van); parking on lines is generally a dodgy thing to do with the vehicle I use so I'm restricted to parking on-street and paying which, in Manchester, is £1.35 for 30mins.

There is nothing in the rules about the vehicle type.

You can stop on single and double yellow lines or use loading bays for up to 20 mins (some places it is 40 mins), the only exceptions are where specific restrictions are in place denoted by lines up the kerb and signs.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to avoid getting tickets off wardens who don't know or ignore the rules to meet quotas.

If you have a signs on the car and in the window, take a picture then challenge the ticket.

Preston Courier Co Ltd said:

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There is nothing in the rules about the vehicle type.

You can stop on single and double yellow lines or use loading bays for up to 20 mins (some places it is 40 mins), the only exceptions are where specific restrictions are in place denoted by lines up the kerb and signs.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to avoid getting tickets off wardens who don't know or ignore the rules to meet quotas.

If you have a signs on the car and in the window, take a picture then challenge the ticket.

The problem is that once he's written his letter/email and copied/uploaded supporting evidence such as delivery notes etc, it'll cost more than £1.35 to challenge the ticket so he may as well saved himself the bother!

I wonder if when making a fully legitimate challenge like this the council would be obliged to pay an admin charge (say just £15) if you issued an invoice? I'm sure you would have a legal case to do so and it might stop spurious tickets being issued if everyone did it. I know it's never going to happen.

Assuming that you keep hard copies of all POD's then there is no issue here.

Park in the loading bays, just like any other courier/delivery driver. Do your delivery and leave.

If you get ticketed, challenge the ticket by scanning and emailing your signed and timed POD to the council. The ticket will be cancelled. This does not cost you a penny!

Peter Riley said:

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Assuming that you keep hard copies of all POD's then there is no issue here.

Park in the loading bays, just like any other courier/delivery driver. Do your delivery and leave.

If you get ticketed, challenge the ticket by scanning and emailing your signed and timed POD to the council. The ticket will be cancelled. This does not cost you a penny!

Depends if you value your time or not...

Peter Riley said:

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Assuming that you keep hard copies of all POD's then there is no issue here.

Park in the loading bays, just like any other courier/delivery driver. Do your delivery and leave.

If you get ticketed, challenge the ticket by scanning and emailing your signed and timed POD to the council. The ticket will be cancelled. This does not cost you a penny!

I have gone through this appeal process a few times and really its not worth the hassle for the price of 1.75.

Preston Courier Co Ltd said:

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ParcelFast said:

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I am unable to park in the loading bays (obviously not a goods vehicle/car derived van); parking on lines is generally a dodgy thing to do with the vehicle I use so I'm restricted to parking on-street and paying which, in Manchester, is £1.35 for 30mins.

There is nothing in the rules about the vehicle type.

You can stop on single and double yellow lines or use loading bays for up to 20 mins (some places it is 40 mins), the only exceptions are where specific restrictions are in place denoted by lines up the kerb and signs.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to avoid getting tickets off wardens who don't know or ignore the rules to meet quotas.

If you have a signs on the car and in the window, take a picture then challenge the ticket.

All the traffic wardens I have had the pleasure of communicating with will ticket cars parked in loading zones regardless of the law because that is what their supervisors instruct them to do. Because they know that most people can't be bothered to appeal and its more revenue for the council.

DJ Specialist Couriers said:

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RAPID LIGHT TRANSPORT LTD. said:

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Get a van

Car gives wrong impression, something like a Bipper, fuel efficient and cheap like a car to run

I disagree, I have had a lot of positive remarks made about my vehicle by customers, so I think its just couriers and courier companies that are anti car.

Rather a sweeping statement if you dont mind me saying, you are bound to disagree as you are running a car, but there are many end users who expect a van to turn up!

DJ Specialist Couriers said:

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Peter Riley said:

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Assuming that you keep hard copies of all POD's then there is no issue here.

Park in the loading bays, just like any other courier/delivery driver. Do your delivery and leave.

If you get ticketed, challenge the ticket by scanning and emailing your signed and timed POD to the council. The ticket will be cancelled. This does not cost you a penny!

I have gone through this appeal process a few times and really its not worth the hassle for the price of 1.75.

So have I, it's just a couple of emails.

WS Distribution Ltd said:

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Peter Riley said:

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Assuming that you keep hard copies of all POD's then there is no issue here.

Park in the loading bays, just like any other courier/delivery driver. Do your delivery and leave.

If you get ticketed, challenge the ticket by scanning and emailing your signed and timed POD to the council. The ticket will be cancelled. This does not cost you a penny!

Depends if you value your time or not...

Two minutes to scan in a POD and fire off an email?

All the traffic wardens I come accross are about ha British has Mitsi Tongue and should be shot.

Mr Stirzaker How very dare you. :-)

LwsExpress transport solutions said:

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Mr Stirzaker How very dare you. :-)

Thing is Les it's so very true.

Preston Courier Co Ltd said:

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ParcelFast said:

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I am unable to park in the loading bays (obviously not a goods vehicle/car derived van); parking on lines is generally a dodgy thing to do with the vehicle I use so I'm restricted to parking on-street and paying which, in Manchester, is £1.35 for 30mins.

There is nothing in the rules about the vehicle type.

You can stop on single and double yellow lines or use loading bays for up to 20 mins (some places it is 40 mins), the only exceptions are where specific restrictions are in place denoted by lines up the kerb and signs.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to avoid getting tickets off wardens who don't know or ignore the rules to meet quotas.

If you have a signs on the car and in the window, take a picture then challenge the ticket.

^^^This I challenged a parking ticket I got whist delivering in a car, the warden told me "you can't be delivering in a car" he was totally wrong and I got the ticket cancelled, with regard to Loading bays some are marked "Loading only" and some are marked "Goods Vehicles only" the latter can only be used by vans (not cars or motorcycles)

Michael Lucani said:

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DJ Specialist Couriers said:

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RAPID LIGHT TRANSPORT LTD. said:

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Get a van

Car gives wrong impression, something like a Bipper, fuel efficient and cheap like a car to run

I disagree, I have had a lot of positive remarks made about my vehicle by customers, so I think its just couriers and courier companies that are anti car.

Rather a sweeping statement if you dont mind me saying, you are bound to disagree as you are running a car, but there are many end users who expect a van to turn up!

This obviously depends on the type of work you want to do. I don't quote for van jobs, if I wanted van work I'd buy a van.