Parking ticket inquiry launched

The number of parking tickets issued is to be investigated

Reports of parking attendants issuing unnecessary tickets are to be investigated by the London Assembly.

The assembly's transport committee will look into the number of parking tickets issued to London's motorists and whether they can be justified.

A spokeswoman said the system had to be fair and not just an exercise in raising money.

Motorists can submit their views to the assembly until the end of the year and the findings are due out in 2005.

'Traffic problems'

Lynne Featherstone, chair of the committee, said: "This move is long overdue for the fed-up motorists, who could also be public transport users and pedestrians, but who believe they are being used as cash cows."

The spokeswoman said the number of complaints the assembly had received about the issue prompted the investigation.

"The London Assembly investigates concerns of London residents and this clearly is a concern.

"Good practice for controlling parking and the fairest rules for penalising motorists who stop illegally need to be identified to ensure that solving traffic problems does not end up merely as an exercise in raising money.

"Assembly members will also look at the number of tickets issued and how happy motorists are with the outcome."