Foreign Drivers cost council £4.5 million

Westminster Council has reported that it is owed a whopping £4.5 million in parking fines from foreign drivers. It appears that the main culprits are those who own the most expensive luxury vehicles. The council is not able to enforce any kind of legal action on drivers who live abroad as they cannot accurately trace where they live.

The council believes these drivers are clearly in breach of British motoring laws and have asked the government to grant it the power to locate overseas motorists that are avoiding the payment of vehicle parking fines.

As the law stands, foreign motorists who bring their vehicles into the UK should register them with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency ( DVLA ) within six months of vehicles arrival. Once a parking ticket has been issued councils can request the relevant information from the DVLA. However, this process cannot be carried out if the vehicle has not been registered to a British address.

Westminster Council has said that drivers who break parking laws in Britain should face penalties irrespective of whether they are UK citizens or live abroad.

A spokesperson for the council stated that there are a small number of motorists who believe this country’s motoring laws do not apply to them, and this situation ought to be corrected.