Parking fines are NOT a cash cow for Sandwell Council, surprise figures reveal
Motorists’ long-held suspicions that councils rake in money through fines has hit a wall after it was revealed enforcing traffic laws costs more than parking tickets bring in.
Statistics released by Sandwell Council under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that over the last two years the authority spent more money issuing tickets than it got from penalties drivers pay.
The data is in contrast to a commonly held belief that councils use fines to generate additional income.
The latest figures for Sandwell show that parking enforcement officers, commonly known as traffic wardens, issued almost 41,000 tickets in the 12 months ending April 2018.
In total the council received £1,069,279 in fines but the cost of employing the officers and council staff was £1,077,358.
