Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has published research suggesting that van drivers have been fined some £1.7 million over the past three years for parking offences in loading parking zones bays.

The research shows that in around a quarter of cases, appeals in these cases were successful.

The research involved freedom of information requests of 45 councils (of the UK’s 300 or so) from a total contacted of 51.

Glasgow came top of the pile with 106,752 parking fines between 2015-2018. Manchester and Haringey came up behind, with the latter issuing 30,869 fines.

Since 2015, councils have issued an average of 13,000 loading bay fines a year. This has increased by an average of 10% annually as austerity calls for more income for the authorities. It also shows that parking bay rules are not always clear for van drivers.

Volkswagen’s Sarah Cox said: “As this research reveals, PCNs are costing businesses thousands of pounds a year when, in fact, they can be avoided completely if you understand the rules correctly. Loading bays are an essential part of the red route network as they allow businesses to access central locations to make and receive important deliveries. As the rules change between councils, it is crucial that you check before you park.”