Surge in drivers visited by bailiffs for unpaid fines
A record number of drivers were visited by bailiffs over unpaid fines, new figures have revealed.
Around 4 million penalty charge notices (PCNs) dished out to drivers were referred to enforcement agencies in the 2023-24 financial year, The Times reports.
There has been a steady rise in the number of drivers referred to bailiffs – up from 2.4 million in the previous year, and from 1.9 million in 2019-20.
Russel Hamblin-Boone, the CEO of the Civil Enforcement Association, the trade body for bailiffs who compiled the data, said the increase is caused by a combination of a post-Covid backlog of court proceedings and ‘clear air zones, Ulez and other emission reduction strategies.’
He said some have given themselves ‘permission to act with impunity.’
‘Antisocial behaviour is being normalised and we see selfish actions daily: motorists not respecting rules, parking where they want and ignoring traffic regulations,’ he added.
Edmund King, the president of the motoring organisation the AA, told drivers who receive a ticket to ‘pay up or challenge it rather than ignore it.’
He said he believes the increase is ‘partly due to the increase in local authority enforcement of moving offences, yellow box junctions, more complex bus lanes and bus gates, and clean air zones.’
‘Often the driver is concentrating on frequently changing speed limits and signage outlining restrictions, rather than the road ahead,’ he continued.
Sometimes drivers will ignore fines as their number plates have been cloned, but King said even then motorists should raise the issue with the council rather than ignore it.
Why do fines escalate to bailiffs?
When a motorist fails to pay a PCN despite several requests, councils transfer cases to an enforcement agency which initially sends a letter, costing the recipient £75 on top of their fine.
If payment is still not made, the agency sends bailiffs to take control of goods belonging to the motorist, such as their car.
This visit adds £235 to the bill.
