New service allows drivers to appeal parking tickets online

Motorists will be able to appeal parking tickets, as well as London's Dartford Crossing charges and bus lane offences online by the end of the year.

Currently, just 0.5% of drivers appeal fines through the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT), with around 50% of those resulting in the penalty being quashed.

The new service, developed by TPT in conjunction with complaints website resolver.co.uk, is said to help drivers more easily appeal unfair fines, with the expectation that cases will receive a decision within days, rather than weeks.

The system will roll out across the majority of councils in England and Wales (but not London) by the end of 2016, with Brighton and Hove City Council launching the service first , on 21 March.

Appeals can be submitted through the new online portal via smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs. Video and photographic evidence can also be uploaded.

Chief adjudicator of the TPT, Caroline Sheppard, said: "Getting a parking ticket can be a frustrating experience, but our new portal makes the appeals process quicker, simpler and more transparent, putting paid to the old adage that ‘the wheels of justice grind slowly’.

"The platform will bring cost savings to local authorities, as well as simplifying the process for those appealing."

Danni Bagnall