A blacked-out sign in Adderley Street, Digbeth (Image: Gerry Moynihan)

The Birmingham streets where drivers 'park for free' as traffic wardens 'can't issue fines'

A city activist claimed cash-strapped Birmingham City Council could be losing out on thousands of pounds

by · Birmingham Live

Birmingham City Council is potentially losing out on thousands of pounds from drivers parking for free in streets where traffic wardens 'can't issue fines'. A number of parking signs in Digbeth have been blacked-out with spray paint for months.

Signs in Bordesley Street, Upper Trinity Street, Adderley Street and Pickford Street have been targeted by vandals. Due to the signs being illegible, in some cases, the authority confirmed traffic wardens avoided issuing tickets as drivers could not read the parking restrictions in place.

Birmingham activist Gerry Moynihan said he suspected the cash-strapped council could be losing out on "thousands of pounds" in revenue. He claimed: "I've been reporting [this issue] to the council for several years.

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"Wardens won't issue tickets, so parking is free. I'm frustrated at the council's inaction and subsequent loss of revenue."

The authority told BirminghamLive it was aware signs were being "spray-painted black". It said enforcement officers assessed the "legibility" of signage when issuing tickets.

A spray-painted parking sign in Bordesley Street, Digbeth (Image: Gerry Moynihan)

Google Street View shows a number of vandalised signs on Digbeth streets before summer 2024. Mr Moynihan said traffic wardens were "being paid to patrol roads they can’t issue tickets on".

He claimed: "I spoke to enforcement officers and they told me they don’t issue tickets as they will only be reversed on appeal. About 100 parking spaces free. Loss of £300,000 per year?"

On the parking confusion, a council spokesperson told us: "We're aware signs are being spray-painted black so motorists are unable to see what parking restrictions are in place. Enforcement officers assess the legibility of signage when issuing Penalty Charge Notices.

"If a sign is no longer legible, then this fails to meet the legal requirement for indicating the restriction to the motorist; in such instances, enforcement officers cannot issue a Penalty Charge Notice. Any damaged or defaced signage is reported to a maintenance team who will clean or replace signage as necessary.”