MOTORISTS using East Hampshire District CouncilÕs car parks are likely to face even higher fines if they find a ticket slapped on their cars from April.
At present drivers are fined £50 for not having a ticket and £30 if it has expired.
The fine is currently halved if it is paid within a week. The only good news is that this time looks set to be extended to 14 days.
The proposals are to go before East Hampshire District CouncilÕs cabinet on January 8 and if they are agreed the new charges will come into force in April.
In a report from parking and highways manager John Elson, members of the cabinet are told that if the recommendations are agreed it will result in an additional income to EHDCÕs car parks budget of £37,000.
He said the one-off costs of altering signing and advertising were estimated at £3,500.
The standard fine was last altered in l995 when it was increased from £30 to £50.
Mr Elson said that many neighbouring local authorities had recently changed their standard charges to £60, or were in the process of doing so. These included Winchester, Basingstoke, Waverley and Portsmouth.
East Hampshire District Council is currently looking at the possibility of taking over on-street parking enforcement which is the responsibility of the police at present.