A motorist has been hit with a £100 penalty after parking with a tyre touching the white line of a bay, highlighting strict car park rules that require vehicles to be parked 'wholly within the bay'.
Motorist's experience at Hartlepool cinema
The driver, who posted on Facebook, said she received the fine after visiting a cinema in Hartlepool. Admitting she had "not parked great as it was a bit of ‘dump and go’ because of the film was starting", she shared a picture showing her front driver's side tyre touching halfway across the bay marking, but not crossing it completely.
She wrote: "Parked here a few weeks ago, and got a £100 fine for this! Apparently I’m not parked ‘wholly within the bay’ and I must be parked within the confines of the white line'." She argued that as long as her car was not over the outer line, she felt it was in the boundary, but her appeal was rejected.
Viking Solutions' response
Viking Solutions, which sent the charge, responded to her appeal: "The photographs taken of the vehicle by the Viking Solutions warden clearly show that it was not parked in a single marked parking bay." It added: "If a vehicle is parked on the bay marking lines, it is not within the bay."
Rules and penalties in car parks
Most car parks have their own rules, but the majority require vehicles to be parked "wholly within the bay", meaning even touching a line can incur a penalty. Drivers should read the terms and conditions displayed in individual car parks to understand the specific rules.
Council-run car parks often have similar regulations. Gateshead Council warns: "You must park completely inside the bay markings. If someone else has parked incorrectly, not leaving enough room for you to use the space beside them, you should not use the space unless all of your vehicle can fit inside the bay markings." It states a charge of £50 is issued for breaching this, halved if paid within a discounted period.
Luton Council also warns users of its car parks they can be charged £50, reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days of issue, if they fail to park "correctly within the markings of a bay space".
