Have you been caught? Number of parking tickets surge 20 per cent in 2016 … that’s almost 4,200 every day
First nine months of the year saw a 20 per cent surge in tickets issued for parking violations as police vow further crackdowns
There was a 20 per cent surge in the number of parking tickets issued in the first nine months of this year, compared with 2015 – with an average of more than 4,200 drivers caught daily.
As police stepped up operations to tackle the issue which has blighted the city, they issued a total of 1.16 million tickets up to the end of September.
The force will also launch a territory-wide operation, from today, to further combat illegal parking and traffic congestion. It will be the fourth time this year police have conducted such an operation.
Traffic superintendent Yip Siu-ming said that in the first three quarters of this year, officers handed out around 1.5 million penalty tickets to drivers caught on violating traffic rules, which climbed year on year by 15 per cent. Almost 80 per cent were for illegal parking.
Of the five regions, New Territories North saw the biggest increase, jumping 30 per cent to 274, 609. Hong Kong Island, Kowloon East and West each climbed by about 20 per cent.
Yip said the force would target blackspots during the six-day operation and issue tickets to drivers without warning.
“We will issue multiple tickets and take summons action against drivers who blatantly contravene illegal parking regulation and obstruct traffic flow. Illegally parked vehicles will be towed away if necessary,” said Yip yesterday, during a swoop on Nam Ning Street in Aberdeen.