Parking is the most common type of fine for company car and van drivers. In 2024 alone, leasing companies received 385,000 parking fines on behalf of their customers.
While you can prevent some fines by driving safely, sticking to the speed limit relevant to your vehicle and not using your mobile phone at the wheel, other fines can catch you out. Fines can be issued by both private parking companies and councils, and the rules often differ. Here are five tips to help you avoid a fine.
Parking
1. Check signs
Not all car parks are the same, which is why it’s important to read the parking terms and conditions, such as how long you are permitted to park.
2. Understand the payment method
Do you need to pay and display a ticket, or does the car park use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras for entry and exit? Can you only pay with the correct change, or do you need to pay via an app or over the phone? Be careful to input your registration correctly. Also, don’t assume you can park somewhere overnight free of charge; even supermarket car parks may have restrictions when the store is closed, as well as during the day.
3. Pay quickly
Car parks that use ANPR know when you arrive and leave. It’s therefore important to pay for your parking as soon as you can. For example, don’t sit and make a call or eat a sandwich before you pay, as a delay may incur a fine straight away.
4. Park correctly
Don’t park in a bay for Blue Badge holders, electric vehicle (EV) charging or loading if those situations don’t apply to you. Make sure you’ve parked within the lines and fully within the bay. If you’re parking on a street, check that there are no permit restrictions and don’t park on the pavement.
5. Don’t overstay
Although councils in England have to give you a 10-minute grace period, it’s only voluntary for private parking firms, so it’s best to be back at your vehicle in time.
Congestion and Low Emission Zones
Cities throughout the UK are increasingly restricting access to certain areas or requiring drivers to pay a charge based on their vehicle’s emissions to help tackle air pollution.
London charging zones
There are currently three charging zones in London and it’s important to check the rules for your vehicle before driving in them.
- Congestion Charge Zone – If you don’t pay a crossing charge or toll before your journey, it can be easy to forget to do it afterwards, which will result in a fine.
- Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) – A £12.50 daily charge for non-compliant vehicles to enter all London boroughs. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, except Christmas Day.
- Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – Charge varies for non-compliant vans to enter most of Greater London. Cars are exempt. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
All zones use ANPR to identify your vehicle and offer a short period of time for you to pay the charge to avoid incurring a penalty. Your company may have a pre-pay account, so find out before you travel.
Zones outside London
Aside from London’s charging zones, you need to be aware of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in Scotland, the pilot Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in the centre of Oxford, and Clean Air Zones (CAZs) in Birmingham, Bristol and other cities. You can find guidance and maps on the .Gov website, along with advice on complying: Drive in a Clean Air Zone.
Again, your company may have a pre-pay account, so find out before you travel.
Other driving restrictions
You also need to watch out for driving restrictions in residential areas such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs). Check your local council’s website for details.
Crossings and Toll Roads
If you don’t pay a crossing charge or toll at the time of your journey, it can be easy to forget to do it afterwards and be hit with a fine.
To avoid this, you can set up a pre-pay account so payment is taken automatically. It’s worth checking whether your company has this in place for the A282 Dartford Crossing (Dart Charge), the M6 Toll, the Humber Bridge and Mersey Gateway, or other toll roads before you travel on them.
Transport for London (TfL) began charging a toll for using the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels in April 2025, so it’s important to remain vigilant, as many tolls use ANPR to identify your vehicle, giving you a short period of time afterwards to pay (typically 24 hours).
Dedicated lanes
Take care not to drive in a marked bus lane, as many local authorities will fine you up to £70 if you do, and in Greater London it could be up to £160.
You could also be fined for stopping on a Red Route, which is marked by red lines.
Make sure you obey Smart Motorway signs. If you drive in a lane which shows a red X on the overhead gantry, or you don’t stick to a variable speed limit, you could get a £100 fine and three penalty points on your driving licence, or worse.
Find out more on the National Highways website: nationalhighways.co.uk.
What Should I Do If I Get a Fine?
If you get a fine, your company may pay it on your behalf and then recharge you. That’s because it’s cheaper to pay a fine promptly; it could even be 50% less if paid within 14 days.
If you believe a fine has been wrongly issued, it’s your responsibility to challenge it, where possible. The appeals process can differ depending on whether you’ve been fined by a private company, or you’ve received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from a local council or TfL, or a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) issued by the police.
To help decide whether it’s worth appealing, you could seek guidance from the Citizens Advice Bureau: citizensadvice.org.uk.
Daily rental vehicles
You should be extra vigilant in daily rental vehicles. Be careful, as most rental providers pay fines upon receipt, add a large admin fee and recharge the customer. Once payment has been made by the provider, the opportunity for appeal is then lost, and authorities can reject or ignore any correspondence received afterwards.
If you need more information about hire charges, please contact your driver services team.
