Overview

• AA Freedom of Information data shows councils issued 1.6 million PCNs for single or double yellow-line violations in 2024.
• More than 581,000 of those penalties came from just 10 councils, five of which are London boroughs.
• An AA survey of nearly 15,000 members cited loading or unloading (43%), quick stops (31%), Blue Badge situations (27%) and lack of spaces (18%) as the main reasons for stopping on yellow lines.
• Fifty-two percent of respondents said expanding legal parking would most deter illegal stops, with the AA urging clearer restrictions, infrastructure investment and smarter enforcement.
• Penalty levels vary widely — up to £160 in London and typically around £70 elsewhere, usually halved if paid within 14 days — as the Department for Transport considers sector evidence and the Local Government Association notes charges outside London have not been reviewed since 2008.