Debt collectors called to chase up parking fines

Council chiefs ordered the move after patrolling the town’s yellow lines cost 297,000 but income totalled only 243,000.

Costs include wages for 18 traffic wardens, two administration staff, vehicles and maintenance.

The council took over parking enforcement in July 2005 and has since given out almost 21,000 penalty notices, although 5,750 were cancelled. About half of those were written off due to errors in national legislation. Now bailiffs will be given the tasks of chasing up unpaid fines.

Alan Carnell, assistant direct for highways, said: “The use of bailiffs is a standard part of decriminalised parking enforcement both in Barnsley and nationally and is used to recover monies where an individual has not contested a charge notice, but, for whatever reason, has chosen not to pay the fine.”

This year council bosses are set to spend 305,000 issuing parking tickets - and they expect to recoup the full amount, he added.

But Mr Carnell denied wardens would be set targets to ensure an increase in income.

He said: “The forecast ‘break even’ figure for this year is based on an analysis of parking trends taking into account the amount of money generated through fines.”

An environmental services report states that it will take another two years before the scheme turns a profit.