Zhangyu Wu, 55, was issued a £110 penalty charge notice (PCN) after he left his car unattended for one minute while trying to read payment instructions at a parking bay in Enfield. The enforcement officer observed the vehicle for just one minute before issuing the fine.
One-minute observation leads to fine
Wu parked his Toyota on Green Lanes in Enfield just before 9am on June 9 this year. He said he stepped out of his vehicle and walked across to a parking sign to understand how to pay. The sign, he noted, had 'lots of small letters.'
The PCN shows the parking warden observed the vehicle 'parked without payment of the parking charge' for one minute, from 8.55am to 8.56am. Wu was recorded protesting to the warden at 8.57am, just seconds after the penalty was issued, indicating he was close by.
Driver's explanation rejected
Wu told the officer he had only just arrived and was still working out how to pay. The parking inspector informed him the PCN had already been issued and the only option was to appeal. Wu wrote to Enfield Council with the same explanation but was told there was 'no grounds… to wave the PCN.'
The business owner told Metro: 'It is awful and not fair. They do not have any common sense. Drivers should be given a reasonable amount of time to read the payment instructions.' He added: 'I was not trying to avoid paying, I was trying to follow the rules. The officer thought I was not a driver.'
Council defends enforcement action
Enfield Council defended their decision to issue the PCN. A spokesperson said: 'A council Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) followed procedure in this case, by remaining with the vehicle in question the whole time. No one was seen in the vicinity of the vehicle or at the nearby parking restriction sign, so the CEO issued a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) correctly.'
While the fine had a discount rate of £55, Wu refused to pay. His sister-in-law, who is the owner of the Toyota, has now been formally sent a Notice to Owner to pay the full £110 fine. Wu has vowed to formally challenge the punishment.
Wu said: 'I don't understand. Is the council using this as a way to generate money? It is not fair. Anybody with a reasonable understanding should see this is not correct and should be cancelled.' He added: 'My point is not that people should park without paying. But my question is whether it is fair to issue a £110 penalty when someone has just arrived.'
