Ministry of Justice considering wheel clamps and stiffer fines to prevent illegal parking

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A working group set up by the Ministry of Justice is proposing tough measures against the sharply increased number of parking offences.
     
The wheel of an illegally parked car could be clamped if the vehicle has been left in the wrong place for two days.
      The clamp could go on already earlier if the same vehicle is found guilty of a parking offence five times and if the parking fines have not been paid.
      Another consequence could be the transfer of the vehicle by authorities.
      A decision on the use of wheel-clamping is always made by police or municipal traffic wardens, but such a disciplinary measure could not be used in private parking lots.
     
Illegal parking could lead to a maximum fine of EUR 80, instead of the present EUR 50. In other words, illegal parking would cost as much as the penalty fee of public transport for fare-dodging.
      If a parking offence continues for more than 24 hours, the fine could be imposed twice again. Today, a parking fine can be issued only once, even if the vehicle in question is parked in an illegal place for a long time.
      The minimum parking sanction would also be raised to EUR 20 from the current EUR 10.
      In the future, illegal parking in a private area, including car parks in malls or the yards of apartment buildings, would lead to a control fee. The owner or occupant of a property would have the right to surveillance, which could be sub-contracted for example to a business if preferred.
     
On Thursday, the working group handed its proposal over to Minister of Justice Tuija Brax (Green League).
      ”A parking violation is not a mere trifle. It is becoming increasingly detrimental to the society and will be very costly when the smoothness and safety of traffic are suffering”, Brax noted.
      For example the Helsinki City Board has sent several official letters to the Ministry of Justice, saying that the current disciplinary measures against parking offenders are no longer adequate. In fact, the illegally parked cars are not removed even if a parking attendant has already issued a ticket for the offence. Moreover, the yards of apartment buildings are frequently used as ad hoc parking lots.
      ”We have been toothless against increased indifference. The size of fines currently levied for parking violations does not prevent illegal parking, while our options are limited”, said Helsinki parking attendant Kaija Kossila, a member in the committee.
     
The aim of the working group is also to clarify the currently unclear situation in the parking enforcement of private areas in accordance with the practices in other Nordic countries.
      ”Public parking enforcement would be taken care of by police or municipal parking wardens. In private parking lots the right to surveillance would be granted to the owners of properties”, says Jaakko Rautio, who acts as the chairman of the committee considering the amendment.
     
There have been two Finnish private parking control companies that have struck agreements with the owners of properties.
      At the moment it is unclear whether or not they are authorised to issue parking tickets for illegal parking. The question is being handled at the Supreme Court.
      According to the proposal made by the working group, the control fee in a private car park should not be higher than the parking fine in a corresponding public area. Moreover, the terms of parking should be made known clearly so that a potential control fee does not come as a surprise.
     
The proposal will next be circulated for comments, whereafter it will be formulated into a bill to be brought before Parliament.
      According to Minister Tuija Brax, the aim is to have the bill passed by Parliament during the present legislative period, or in practice within a year.
      Hitherto, wheel clamps - a familiar feature of city parking in many countries - have not been used in Finland.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Private parking control company drops lawsuits (26.2.2008)
  Helsinki looking to try wheel clamps to reduce number of parking offences (20.1.2006)
  Helsinki wants to hike up its parking fines (29.10.2009)

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