Penalty Charge Notices (PCN)

If you feel you have been incorrectly issued with a parking or traffic fine and wish to challenge, you will need:

• Penalty Charge Notice Number
• Vehicle Registration
• Email/Home Address

Carmarthenshire Council will consider any informal challenge against a parking penalty within 28 days from the date of the contravention. If an informal challenge is received after 28 days, then it may not be considered.

Please be advised, to challenge your PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) you must do so in writing, via our online challenge portal or by post. Alternatively, you can challenge via our email Parking@Carmarthenshire.gov.uk. A challenge will not be considered over the phone.

Please do not pay if you intend to challenge the PCN. The penalty will not increase while your challenge is reviewed.

Once we have acknowledged receipt of your challenge, the case will be put on hold pending a decision from a case officer, which will usually be sent to you within 4-8 weeks, please do not contact us during this period.

If your informal challenge is unsuccessful, or you do not respond to your Penalty Charge Notice within 28 days, we'll issue a 'Notice to Owner'. It will explain how to pay or how to make a formal challenge.

If you wish to challenge at this stage, you can make a representation online. It is recommended that you provide further supporting evidence to support your appeal or you may receive the same outcome.

The owner of the vehicle remains liable even if they were not driving at the time of the contravention. If you have sold your vehicle you will need to inform the DVLA and challenge your PCN. You will need to confirm who you sold the vehicle to (name & address) and when. Any supporting evidence you can provide would be beneficial to the challenge/appeal.

It takes 24 hours for the details of the fine to appear on our parking system. After the 24 hours have passed, you will be able to challenge or pay the fine online.

You can pay your fine (Penalty Charge Notice):

• Via our Online Service
• By Post – FAO Parking Services, Carmarthenshire County Council, PO Box 90, Carmarthen, SA31 3WR
• By visiting your local hwb

To pay a fine you will need:

• The Penalty Charge Notice number (the PCN number can be found at the top of your ticket)
• Your vehicle registration number
• A valid debit or credit card

The penalty charge will be reduced by a discount of 50% if it is paid within 14 days. The 14-day period begins on the date that the Penalty Charge Notice was served.

If you are unable to pay your fine in one, please email parking@carmarthenshire.gov.uk to request a payment plan be arranged with an affordable amount to you. Please include:

• The PCN Number
• Your Vehicle Registration
• Email/Home address
• The amount you wish to pay over the length of time (e.g £10 per month for 5 months) & starting date
• The payment method you wish, either standing order, direct transfer or phone payments

Once we have acknowledged receipt of your request the case will be put on hold & you will receive a response. If you fail to make the agreed payments the penalty will increase.

Below is a list of some of the Parking Restrictions and what they mean, to prevent you from receiving a fine.

01 – Double yellow lines - Parking in a restricted street during prescribed hours

• You may stop while passengers get into or out of the vehicle, but the vehicle should not be left unattended.
• You can unload and load if it is constantly observed that loading or unloading is taking place.
• Blue badge holders can park for up to three hours with no return for one hour with a clearly displayed valid blue badge and correctly set time clock (refer to Disabled Blue Badge booklet).
• Yellow lines also apply to the pavement or highway or verge.
• No requirement for a sign for the restriction
• No waiting at any time.

Single yellow lines

• During times of operation as shown by the time plate, these markings act as double yellow lines.
• Outside of these times the yellow line restriction does not apply.

02 / 02J – Parked on Loading Restriction - Parked or loading/unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading/unloading restrictions are in force

Loading restrictions:

• Vehicles can stop while passengers get into or out of the vehicle, but not wait and the driver must remain in the vehicle.
• This contravention requires no observation time to enforce.
• Yellow lines (blips) on the kerb or on the edge of the carriageway indicate that there is a loading restriction.
• Single blip on the kerb mean no loading between the times stated on the time plate (white plate - times may vary and time plate must be checked).
• Double yellow blips on the kerb mean no loading or unloading at any time.
• Blue badge holders cannot park on a loading restriction.
• This restriction may be enforced by camera so you may not see a penalty charge notice on the windscreen and instead it would be sent in the post.

11– Parked without payment of the payment charge

• Pay and Display tickets must be clearly displayed on the dashboard or payment made via the mipermit app or website.
• Tickets must be positioned the correct way up and showing the correct vehicle registration details.
• A Penalty Charge Notice will be issued if a vehicle is parked in a parking place without displaying a valid ticket or permit or payment not made.

12 – Parking in a Resident Bay without a permit - Parked in a residents' or shared use parking place without clearly displaying either a permit or valid Disabled Blue Badge

• You may park for the purposes of loading and unloading. Continuous loading and unloading must be taken place and observed by an officer the vehicle must then be removed to a non-restricted parking space.
• You must not park in a resident bay during its period of operation without a valid permit or disabled blue badge that is clearly displayed. The period of operation will be shown on the adjacent sign.

22 – Returning in a limited waiting bay within prescribed times - Parking in the same parking place or zone within one hour (or other specified time) of leaving

• Blue badge holders may park longer than the time shown on the signs with a clearly displayed valid blue badge unless the signs say otherwise, but once the vehicle is moved then the no return rule applies.
• The ‘no return’ information is displayed on the sign. This means that you are not permitted to return to the limited waiting bay within the time specified. Parking enforcement officers will record all vehicles parked in limited waiting bays to ensure that they do not overstay or return to the bay within the specified timescale.

25 – Parking in loading place during restricted hours without loading

Loading bays:

• You are only allowed to load and unload from these bays and once completed you must remove your vehicle from the loading bay. A Penalty Charge Notice may be issued if an officer observes no loading or loading taking place.
• Bays marked with the words 'loading only' or ‘loading bay’.
• These bays can be restricted to certain types of vehicles, such as a goods vehicle
• If no times are indicated the bay is in operation at all times

27 – Parked adjacent to a dropped footway

• No observation time is required.
• A Penalty Charge Notice will be issued when a vehicle is parked either partially or fully across a dropped kerb.
• Parking alongside a dropped kerb etc can cause considerable inconvenience and put vulnerable road users at severe risk. Parking adjacent to a dropped kerb at an access to premises can cause considerable nuisance to drivers trying to enter or leave the premises.
• The Highway Code advises drivers “DO NOT STOP OR PARK….where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles, or where it would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities… except when forced to do so by stationary traffic”.

40 – Parking in a designated disabled person's parking place without clearly displaying a valid disabled person's badge

• When parking in a disabled badge holders only bay a valid blue badge must be clearly and correctly displayed at all times.
• This restriction requires no observation time to enforce.
• You must not park in parking spaces reserved for specific users such as blue badge holders unless you are entitled to do so.

45 / 45J – Parking on a Taxi Rank

• This restriction requires no observation time to enforce.
• You must not park in a taxi rank during its period of operation. The period of operation will be shown on the adjoining signage. If there is no times on the signage then the taxi rank is in operation at all times.
• This restriction may be enforced by camera so you may not see a Penalty Charge Notice on the windscreen but you will instead be sent a Penalty Charge Notice by post.

47 / 47J – Stopped on a restricted bus stop or stand

• Buses must only use bus stops to allow passengers to board or alight. However, they may park for longer to maintain a timetable or to change crews.
• This restriction requires no observation time to enforce.
• No vehicle is permitted to stop on a bus stop / stand other than Public Service Vehicles, this does not include Taxi’s
• This restriction may be enforced by a camera so you may not see a Penalty Charge Notice on the windscreen and instead it would be sent in the post.

48 / 48J – Stopping on School Zig Zags

Yellow zig-zag markings:

• This restriction requires no observation time to enforce.
• When outside schools these markings indicate the length of road where you should not stop, not even to pick up or drop off your children or other passengers.
• Where there is an upright sign, there is a mandatory prohibition of stopping during the times shown.
• These markings are provided outside schools to ensure that children can see and be seen clearly when crossing the road.
• This restriction maybe enforced by a camera so you may not see a penalty charge notice on the windscreen and instead it would be sent in the post.
• Still applicable during school holidays unless otherwise stated.

The Police are responsible for:

• Obstruction of the highway
• Dropped kerbs (vehicle crossovers) and where there are obstruction issues
• Pavement parking

The Police are the only authority that have the power to remove a vehicle that is causing obstruction.

Report a problem to the Police

Bus lanes

Bus services are particularly susceptible to the effects of traffic congestion. Any delays can increase operating costs and lead to higher fares.

Bus lanes and bus gates can:

• quicken journey times
• increase reliability
• encourage the use of sustainable transport.

We will issue you with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) if you fail to comply with bus lane restrictions.

The ​Highway Code (141) states:

'Bus lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs that indicate which (if any) other vehicles are permitted to use the bus lane. Unless otherwise indicated, you should not drive in a bus lane during its period of operation'.

In Carmarthenshire, all bus lanes operate 24 hours a day, every day.

Vehicles that can use bus lanes in Carmarthenshire:

• Buses
• Licenced Hackney carriages
• Licenced vehicles for private hire
• Motorcycles (without side cars)
• Pedal cycles
• Emergency service vehicles

Please make sure you are familiar with all signage relating to bus lanes:

Bus lanes are also bounded by a solid white line. You should not cross the line unless permitted. Please be patient. If traffic is busy in the unrestricted lanes, this does not mean you can use bus lanes or bus gates illegally. Many people believe that there is a 20 metre grace distance for an unauthorised vehicle to use a bus lane. This ’20 metre rule’ has no basis in law.

Box junctions

Yellow box junctions are placed at busy junctions to aid the flow of traffic through the junction. They can also be placed to keep a road space free to ensure emergency services have a clear exit from fire stations and hospitals. 

Recognising a box junction

Yellow box junctions are indicated by yellow crisscross lines painted on the carriageway:

They can be found at road junctions and at some roundabouts and there are no requirements for yellow box junctions to be accompanied by signs or a Traffic Regulation Order.

Using a box junction

The rules of box junctions can be found in the Highway Code (174)

You may enter a yellow box junction when your exit is clear and there is enough space on the other side of the junction for your vehicle to clear the box completely without stopping. You can stop in a yellow box junction when turning right if you are prevented from turning by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.

We issue PCNs for a failure to comply with the rules of box junctions. 

• Check your exit is clear. If you simply follow the vehicle in front of you without doing so it may stop and prevent you from fully crossing the junction.
• Just because a traffic light is green this does not mean the rules of box junctions do not apply.
• Don't let other drivers pressure you into entering the box when a clear exit is not available

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Banned Turns

Certain manoeuvres (turns) are banned on some of our roads. Ignoring these bans can be very dangerous and could result in an accident. 

A banned turn occurs when drivers ignore signs giving instructions as to a direction they must or must not take. Enforcement of banned turns helps to manage how traffic uses the road and makes it safer for pedestrians and other drivers.

Recognising a banned turn sign

These signs are listed in the Highway Code, which you may wish to consult. They are either signs with:

• A white arrow on a blue background showing you the direction you must take, or
• A red outer circle with a red line showing you the direction you must not take

What you MUST do	Traffic Sign
Straight ahead only: You must continue ahead only. You must not turn left, right or make a U turn.
Left turn only: You must turn left at the junction ahead. You must not turn right, go straight ahead or make a U turn.
Right turn only: You must turn right at the junction ahead. You must not turn left, go straight ahead or make a U turn.
Turn left: You must turn left. You must not turn right, go straight ahead or make a U turn.
Right turn: You must turn right. You must not turn left, go straight ahead or make a U turn.

 

What you must NOT do	Traffic Sign
Make a right hand turn
Make a left hand turn
Make a U-turn

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