Traffic wardens won’t be able to nab you until 10 minutes after your ticket expires

We’ve all experienced that day-ruining moment when we discover that an overzealous traffic warden has stung us with a hefty fine, only minutes after our ticket ran out.

But now, a change in the law will allow all motorists the right to a ‘grace period’, in which drivers have 10 extra minutes to return to their vehicles after a ticket has expired.

The new measures apply to all cars parked in pay-and-display bays, or other parking spaces with specific time limits.

Under the new changes, set to come into force next month, residents and local firms will also be given the opportunity to demand a council review of parking in their area, which includes the use of yellow lines and parking charges.

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‘We are bringing back common sense.

‘Very soon shoppers and drivers will also benefit from ten minute “grace periods” for council-controlled parking, whether it’s on or off-street, paid or free.

‘It means you won’t get fined for being a few minutes late. We’re also ending the industrial use of CCTV spy cars to enforce on-street parking.’

I'm all for an hour is an hour policy. I hate the fact you have to pay, but an hour is an hour. If you can't keep track of time, then it seems you never really learnt that skill in primary school.

That's all very well in an area that you know well but it is very easy to lose one's bearings in a strange town and spend 5/10 minutes frantically searching for the place you parked your car.

Just apply the 7 P's.

Proper
planning &
Preparation
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance!

Start thinking about making your way back to your car 10 minutes earlier bud.

It won't make any difference. Instead of an hour, you know you have an hour and ten minutes: people will still be late.

The day I forget where I have parked my car will be the day I stop driving.

They are easy to spot, those little blue three wheelers Sony

My classic "where's my car" was Blackburn, last minute dash before shops closed, top floor of a high multi-story car park as it was full. Ran to the shop who stayed open late for me, then walked back to car park slowly as everybody would be leaving the car park and I wasn't interested in waiting in a queue to get out.

Climbed the stairs as I wasn't in a hurry, arrived on the top (open air) floor of the car park and their were NO CARS there, not even mine.

"oh dear" I said to myself (in a slightly different language), I was just about to get in touch with the police when I looked over the edge of the wall - and spotted an identical multi-story car park across the road, with one solitary car on the top needless to say.

They could have at least painted the twin car parks a different colour !!!!

Well Dilly, they are 2 strokes. More than you ever get LOL

I got back to my car just a couple of seconds after 4pm on Woodchurch Road (opposite Sainsburys) and found a short, fat traffic warden with glasses gleefully writing a ticket. I drove off before he had even printed his little ticket out. I contested the ticket over lack of photographic evidence.

I know they are just doing their jobs and all that, but I agree that traffic wardens are sadistic vermin.

It happened to me once. I'd driven to the pub and had a good session then got a taxi home.

Woke up next morning to find no car on the drive. After the initial panic I remembered I'd taken it to the pub. But I couldn't remember which one I'd started at.