CARS SHOULD BE TOWED AWAY ONLY WHEN THEY ARE CAUSING AN OBSTRUCTION

Each council has a different policy towards towing away. But a number of councils allow the towing away of cars for very minor infractions, including briefly going over the time-limit in a parking zone.

When such a car is towed away, the penalty is grotesquely disproportionate to any offence. The towing away charge can be as much as £200. And then on top of this, there is the parking penalty to be made. And , because the cars are towed to awkward destinations, there will likely be an expensive taxi fare. Thus the total may be as much as £275.

A car that is parked in a parking bay is not causing any type of obstruction, and thus its towing-away is purely an unethical revenue-raising device. Furthermore it could be argued that the towing vehicles themselves are increasing the clogging of the traffic.

Cars should only be towed away when they are causing an obstruction. This would be an exceedingly simple and popular and ethical reform.