FAQs

Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are issued when a driver parks in contravention to a traffic order, or drives in contravention to the traffic signs for Bus Lane and Moving Traffic contraventions.

A PCN is issued when a contravention (in traffic terms) is a violation of a traffic order. Examples include driving in a Bus Lane during restricted times.

PCNs in Harrow are currently between £60 and £130 depending on the severity of the contravention. These are reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days (or 21 days for some types of contravention as stated on your PCN)

PCN penalties need to be paid but does not result in a criminal record or points on a driving licence.

Since July 1994, local councils in London took over enforcement from the Metropolitan Police. The primary parking legislation is covered under the Traffic Management Act 2004 (formally the Road Traffic Act 1991).other legislation covers additional enforcement areas such as CCTV.

Harrow enforces parking restrictions throughout the borough with the exception of private roads and the M1 motorway.

 PCNs can be issued for several reasons, including parking: 

• in a disabled bay without a blue badge 
• on pedestrian zig zags 
• on double yellow lines 
• on school ‘keep clear’ markings 

There are six different types of PCNs: 

1. Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) issued 
2. CCTV 
3. Bus lane 
4. Moving traffic 
5. When a CEO is issuing but then the Vehicle is driven away 
6. When CEOs are prevented from serving 

All but the CEO-issued PCNs are sent by post after receiving the registered keeper details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

PCNs follow various statutory timescales but all offer a 50% discount if payment is received within a specified timescale after they have been issued. 

Below are some of the examples of illegal and inconsiderate parking in Harrow, which continue to happen frequently, despite existing enforcement. 

Driving in a Bus Lane contravention Code 34.

Parking in a Disabled persons bay Code 40.

Double Parking Code 26.

Parking on a Grass Verge Code 62.

Carrying out a U Turn contrary to the posted signage Code 50.

Parking on School Keep Clear markings code 48.

Over the past seven years, effective enforcement of parking and traffic restrictions has not seen any significant reduction in the number of PCNs being issued. The table below displays the number of PCNs issued in the borough.

Table 1: Number of PCNs issues over the last seven years 

We operate 68 Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) across the borough. Waiting and loading restrictions also apply in many locations outside CPZs. Planning policy is also used to minimise additional parking pressures arising from developments in some areas. 

Additionally, we enforce outside of more than 80 school sites. Inconsiderate vehicles parking outside schools receive the largest number of complaints regarding bad parking in the borough. 

Our enforcement measures consist of 48 Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) deployed on foot, in cars and on mopeds. We also have a network of over 60 CCTV cameras that are strategically placed to enforce a range of parking and traffic contraventions across the borough.  

Despite these measures the borough continues to experience high levels of noncompliance with its parking regulations.   

We are consulting on proposals to change parking PCN tariffs in Harrow from Band B to Band A. We believe that by introducing Band A PCNs in Harrow, this will be an effective deterrent and will reduce the number of incidences of inconsiderate parking. There will be no change to PCNs issued for moving traffic contraventions which are already at the higher tariff.

Please refer to Table 2 for a comparison of Band A and Band B. 

Table 2: Comparison of Band A and Band B

We are proposing to change parking PCN tariffs to Band A because evidence from other areas of London has shown that higher tariffs results in fewer PCNs being issued.  This suggests that the higher Band A tariff is a more effective deterrent in tackling inconsiderate parking, which leads to congestion, increased air pollution, and fewer places to park in the borough.

The London boroughs of Haringey and Waltham Forest have already successfully applied to London Councils’ to implement Band A PCNs to help with their parking and traffic enforcement, and had significant reductions in the number of PCNs issued.

Waltham Forest applied to London Councils for a PCN banding change to the south of the borough in 2009. Approval was granted by London Councils and was subsequently implemented in 2010.

During 2010/11, the first year of issuing Band A PCNs, the area saw a reduction of just under 9,000 PCNs compared to the previous year. During the same period, the north of the borough, where Band B PCNs were still being issued, saw an increase of 5,000 PCNs.

Since April 2013, the London Borough of Waltham Forest has also issued all PCNs using the Band A tariff. They experienced a 3.3% drop in the number of PCNs issued in 2013/14 compared to 2012/13, before the banding increase was in place.

Haringey Council introduced a Band change on 1 October 2013 in a specific area of the borough. In the first 10 months of operation it resulted in a reduction of PCNs being issued from 14,953 to 10,186, which is a reduction of 32%.

London Borough of Harrow will terminate the process of moving bands.

Our enforcement measures consist of 48 Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) deployed on foot, in cars and on mopeds. We also have a network of over 60 CCTV cameras that are strategically placed to enforce a range of parking and traffic contraventions across the borough.