Reading Council has come clean after mistakenly fining drivers for over a decade, totalling a staggering £357,000. They are now urging affected motorists to step forward for refunds after issuing 6,136 incorrect penalty charge notices (PCNs) since 2013.
These fines were improperly handed out due to mistakes in traffic regulation orders (TROs) related to parking violations in the city. TROs are legal measures that allow local authorities to manage traffic and parking in their areas, but errors were found when a council employee flagged an issue with the East Reading Red Route earlier this year.
Starting Wednesday, October 16, drivers who were unfairly fined can reclaim their money through the council’s website. Those who faced debt recovery due to these fines will receive direct communication from the council detailing how to reclaim their funds, with interest included.
Refunds are expected to be processed within 28 days of submitting a claim.
The affected areas include:
- Red Route East: Kings Road, Wokingham Road, and nearby streets, with fines issued between January 11-15, 2018, and after July 11, 2018, until March 6, 2024.
- Waldeck Street: Fines from March 1, 2016, to September 29, 2021.
- Swainstone Road: Fines from March 1, 2016, to June 4, 2024.
- Red Route West: 13 fines from May 18-24, 2018.
- Southcote Verge and Footway: Including multiple roads from August 9, 2015, until June 7, 2024.
- Tilehurst and Kentwood Verge and Footway: Including several roads from November 8, 2013, to June 7, 2024.
Jackie Yates, Chief Executive of Reading Borough Council, expressed regret, saying, "I sincerely apologise to all motorists and residents who have been affected by these errors and urge them to visit the Council's website so that we can reimburse them.
"We have made the reimbursement process as easy as possible for people who have been wrongly issued with penalty charge notices, whilst ensuring we have appropriate verification checks in place.
"Parking enforcement action was suspended as soon as the Council became aware of the specific TRO issues and further action is being taken to ensure that the circumstances which led to this situation don't happen again.
"On behalf of the council, I sincerely apologise to motorists for the distress and inconvenience caused."
A council spokesperson explained "Some Traffic Regulation Orders were not made permanent after an initial experimental period and others not made in accordance with correct procedure.
"The East Reading red route was an Experimental Traffic Order which was made in January 2018 which should have lasted for 18 months. The first six months of the experimental order was to be a consultation period.
"However, when the Order was made, it was only made for six months, despite it being advertised as an 18-month Order. When the Order expired in July 2018, enforcement continued.
"A wider investigation was then launched to review whether there were further issues with TROs and a small number were found to be incorrect."
