Shop owners and residents on Britain’s most ticketed street have described the ‘horrendous’ amount of fines that are ‘killing the city’ and ‘destroying’ small businesses.
Earlier this year it was revealed that Gloucester Road in Bristol dealt out a whopping 3,375 fines in the last year, equating to roughly £120,000.
Bristol Council raked in the colossal sum for illegal parking and bus lane contraventions, with one person even getting fined £500 in one month.
It comes after research in March showed that drivers are being handed an average of more than 35,000 parking tickets by private companies – with one firm paying almost £1.5million for personal data from the DVLA.
Now, speaking to , Bristol residents have shed light on the region’s ‘hideous’ public transport and explained how businesses are being forced to shut an hour early as a result of the gridlocked roads.
Elsewhere across the country, second in the number of fines given out last year was The Horsefair in Bristol, then Berkeley Square and Whiteladies Road, both Clifton.
Leeds City Council earned £85,165 in penalty charge notices in the same year on Great George Street, The Sun report.
Leicester City Council also received £53,550 in fines from drivers, with Granby Street the most prolific.
In Bristol, however, Taurri, 27, who runs a small CBD business on Gloucester Road, says he has received £500 in parking fines in the past month alone.
‘This street and its signs are very confusing,’ he said. ‘It is clearly damaging the high street but the council do not seem to care.
‘All the regulations and rules breaches people’s freedom of movement. There is no where to unload because of the bus lane and it is very anxiety-inducing.
‘As my window opens onto the road, I often see lots of debates between the ticket warden and people with fines.
‘With some people, English is not their first language so they are pointing to the signs with confusion!’
Taurri says he feels the transport has been getting ‘progressively worse too’ and ‘increasingly inaccessible’ which has not helped the situation.
He explained: ‘It really is lessening peoples’ independent ability to live in a city.
‘I am able to walk 10 minutes to a bus stop, but a lot of people are not. You also just have to accept that the buses will not turn up on time – so you will either be an hour early, or late. It takes time out of your day.
‘The infrastructure is not accessible. If you are going to preach that public transport is a solution, make sure it is an actual solution!’
Delia Adey, 40, the shop owner of Flo Jo Fabrics, said: ‘Lots of people just do not understand the parking or the signs – the signage is very hard to understand.
‘Instead of what they currently have, it should just be: “No parking after 4.30pm” or something like that.
‘But you never know, if I have to park on the street for a delivery, and then check my phone and it’s 5.30pm I have to sprint out the shop and get everyone out to move my car, praying I haven’t got a ticket!’
The 40-year-old admitted that she has been forced to close her business at 4.30pm because of the signage.
She explained: ‘We close at 4.30pm because of this problem. I don’t want to have to wait until the rush hour bus lanes open again for people.’
Ms Adey, who lives in Bristol and cycles into work, said: ‘The buses have definitely gotten worse too. All three of us who work here cycle.
‘I mean sometimes one of us might have to try and get the bus but it is always late! They are unreliable.’
Mary, a jewellery shop owner on Gloucester road, was very passionate about the city’s wider infrastructure, or lack thereof, as she parks two roads away and walks to her shop.
‘I am not surprised that this road is the most ticketed in the UK,’ she said. ‘It is horrendous.
‘There are a lot of different factors too – the ULEZ zone the council has implemented which has not done anything, stupid drivers who try and U-turn on this road, and I’m pretty sure the majority of people do not understand the signage. The signs are so bad.
‘It is from 4.30 till 5.30 mainly which is the worst time – I see ticket issued, after ticket, after ticket. They are just trying to get as much money as possible.
‘There is never anywhere to park. The road only just about operates. Mark my words this will kill the high street.
‘But then the whole infrastructure is bad – and it has been this way for the last 20 years – it needs to be sorted.’
Melanie, 52, the owner of Scrumptiously Sweet on Gloucester Road, said the news about Gloucester Road being Britain’s most ticketed street is ‘unsurprising’.
She explained: ‘It’s a really important issue. We as business owners put signs up telling people where they can and can’t park, as the main signs are confusing.
‘All it takes is one person to park in the bus lane! We lose so much custom because of the bus lane requirements, it’s 4.30pm till 6.30pm where people cannot park – and that is prime time for businesses!
‘It’s really hard. I get why they do it but it is not helping small businesses and is spoiling the city.
‘I also wonder where is that money going? Something needs to be done about this. It’s always about the money, and not helping the people.’
The 52-year-old said she has to drive to get to work, but she has a disabled badge which enables her to park off the main road with ‘a bit more ease’.
She said: ‘In a way I am fortunate that I have my disabled badge – because if I didn’t have that I wouldn’t be able to come to work. Period!’
Tya Shannon, 48, the owner of plant shop Wild Leaf on Gloucester Road, said: ‘We constantly have people and customers coming in asking “can we park here?” outside the shop – this happens several times a week!
‘It is hard to give a definitive answer as British communication is completely useless and inadequate.
‘Clear signage is needed! The signs are so unclear and confusing for people. The information is lacking for people.
‘I have seen people get tickets on this road; it is usually men with flashy cars who think they can park wherever they want and own the roads.’
Mary, another resident, was particularly ‘unimpressed’ with the ‘hideous’ public transport. She explained: ‘The public transport is hideous – you are always waiting for buses that don’t arrive!’
Bobby Jones, 80, who has lived in Bristol his whole life and doesn’t drive, said he simply ‘cannot cope’ with the public transport.
He explained: ‘It is a shambles. I was waiting for a bus the other day for an hour whilst it was pouring it down with rain – and there is no bus shelter.
‘Apparently the council have just ordered 70 new electric buses, but there are no drivers for them and the ones we have do not work.’
Di, 65, who works at vintage shop RePsycho on the road, said: ‘Parking is a massive pain. There are just not enough spaces.
‘There is all of this restrictive parking – way too much of it, and people are not happy about it. That is all I have to say.’
Frank Sewell, the owner of The Flooring Guide carpet shop, added: ‘The road needs loading bays!
‘We have deliveries for four metre wide carpets and it is a nightmare. The delivery driver has to stop in the road, it causes havoc, we get shouted at and that’s it.
‘I’m not sure the parking meters could change as it is important we have parking. They need to help us small businesses out!’
Mr Sewell believes the push for cycling and bikes in the city has ‘gone too far’.
He explained: ‘The bike conversation has gone too far. There are bike stands everywhere: bike stands by the library, bike stands by the shop, bike stands by pub. It is bikes gone mad.’
Diago Godoey, 30, the shop owner of ARTIGO, claimed: ‘I often see people getting tickets.
‘I have seen people’s cars get towed away before if they are parking in the wrong place!
‘I try and warn people, but a big problem is that people don’t see the signs. I park on the back streets and walk to the shop.’
In terms of the fines given out by private companies last year, motoring charity RAC Foundation found how many drivers could feel ‘badly let down’ by the delay in ministers introducing a code of conduct aimed at eradicating some of the sector’s worst practices despite legislation being passed.
has contacted Bristol City for comment.