London councils have earned nearly £8.5 million from pavement parking fines in 2023, according to data obtained by Autocar.

A Freedom of Information request uncovered that in the 12 months leading up to November, £8,443,068 was earned by councils in London from penalty charge notices (PCNs) given to drivers who parked on a pavement.

Newham was found to be the most popular borough for such infractions, with more than 21,000 PCNs issued - nearly half of which (45%) haven't yet been paid. 

Further research by Autocar revealed that nearly a third of all the fines issued across London during that period hadn't been paid, with 167,066 issued and 111,495 paid.

Despite this, Newham council still earned £936,391 from pavement parking fines between January and November 2023.

Fines are handed to drivers found to be in breach of parking contravention code 62, which prevents cars from being parked with one or more wheels on the pavement. 

The law also bans parking on footways, on footpaths, in front of dropped kerbs or on raised carriageways and is enforced all year round.

Last week, this came into force in Scotland, with its government introducing a law that will make offenders pay up to £100.

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said: “Scotland is following London’s lead by clamping down on pavement parking, which can have serious consequences for pedestrians - especially those with reduced mobility.

"Drivers across the country – in both rural and urban areas – need to understand the rules to avoid being fined.”

In the capital, fines gathered from parking infractions are bound by law to be put back into the mayor's transport strategy, which was introduced in 2018 and involves an improvement in public transport and jobs and homes created for London residents. 

The money will therefore be invested in off-street parking, public transport services and highway maintenance.