Parking Fine in Electric Vehicle Bay

fairisfair2024

Hi All,

I got an €80 fine today for parking in an EV bay. I was just running in getting a sandwich at lunch and ticket inspector nabbed me.

I know I shouldn't have been in the charging bay even if it was just for 5 minutes but I am just wondering is there any stipulations around required signage for these charging bays. There was a sign saying no parking but no mention of fines etc.

Parking in these charging bays is something I have only ever done once before as I know it is not best practice but I wasn't aware that there was an €80 fine associated with it.

Thanks in advance.

Victor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372454#Comment_122372454

In a public place, the fixed penalty notice or equivalent is set by statute or regulations, so no need to put it on signage.

In a private car park, clamping fees can vary, so they do need to be publicised.

thebiglad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058359356/parking-fine-in-electric-vehicle-bay

Is it just because you were in an EV bay or, were the whole row of spaces paid parking and you just happened to be in an EV bay?

MrMusician18

Public or private? For parking fines, most towns have a 10min grace period so you must've been longer than the 5 mins.

fairisfair2024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372430#Comment_122372430

Public Parking - Definitely wasn't longer than 10 minutes. i'd be doubtful if grace period comes into it in this scenario where my diesel powered car is parking in an EV charging bay?

endacl

They’re fairly black and white about these things. They won’t care if it was 5 minutes or 5 hours, a sandwich or a 3 course meal. If you weren’t entitled to be in the bay, you weren’t entitled.

fairisfair2024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372444#Comment_122372444

I get that, the only area where I feel I may have a leg to stand on is with regards to signage. Do they need to have a sign in the car park highlighting potential fines for parking without a ticket/parking in an EV bay?

fairisfair2024

Error

fairisfair2024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372423#Comment_122372423

It was the only spot available so said Id take my chances and run in for my sandwich. If you've ever been in Navan around lunch time you'd understand!

galvo_clare

You knew you shouldn’t park there. You got caught. Pay the fine and move on.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372460#Comment_122372460

You admit that you took a chance i.e. gambled on it and you lost. It is a bit daft then to complain afterwards when the gamble didn't go your way.

I'm taking it for granted that you also didn't pay for your "five minutes" regardless of being in a charging spot.

If parking availability in Navan is so bad that you have to take gambles then get your sandwich somewhere else!

Flinty997

It depends on the parking/charging location.

Some are free while parking some are not. An EV parked in one that's not free will have to pay parking while charging . A few EV drivers have been caught out where they got a fine for not paying for parking while charging.

Looking at the Meath council website they have some chargers that are free while charging.

Its obnoxious blocking an EV charger. Be it an EV that's finished charging or an ICE car. I'm sorry you got fined but not sorry there is a fine.

SteM

Can't believe someone registered just to ask this question. OP you took a chance and got caught, if you're for real pay the fine and move on.

kabakuyu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372460#Comment_122372460

Pay up and move on,I had a battle with clampers years ago,it aged me,not worth it.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372443#Comment_122372443

Once it's an ICE car 🚗 you are done.

The other day I saw a guy coming out of Lidl with his trolley of shopping and loading it into his car parked on the EV charging space.

His car was an EV but not plugged in.

Is that an offence ?

I reckon it's nearly worse than an ICE driver parking there.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372617#Comment_122372617

I can’t believe people can’t recognise re reg trolls just looking to start an argument.

Just waiting for the next one to join the thread asking how come cyclists can dump their bikes in EV parking bays without any repercussions.

horse7

It's a pity you didn't get towed away.

fairisfair2024

This is exactly the answer I was looking for. Thanks for your help.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372454#Comment_122372454

The bottom line is they do not need to stipulate what the fines are. That's not done on public parking areas.

fairisfair2024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372804#Comment_122372804

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122373206#Comment_122373206

Thanks Victor

mgbgt1978

So…the very 1st answer is the one that you wanted (and thanked, twice for some reason)…yet you felt the need to post another 4 times telling us all about your bloody sandwich !!!

Trolling isn't really working out for you , is it ?

28064212

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122373320#Comment_122373320

That wasn't the first reply. The OP marked it as an answer, which moved it to the first reply spot. Victor's post was after elperello's post (you can tell by the timestamps), and the OP's first reply after that was to accept it.

fairisfair2024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122373347#Comment_122373347

Exactly, thanks for explaining that.

endacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372460#Comment_122372460

mebollix. I used to hear that all the time from entitled parents parking across my driveway for the crèche next door. ‘I was only there for 5 minutes’ and ‘there was nowhere else to park’, translates as ‘I don’t care if I inconvenienced you during those 5 minutes’ and ‘I’m too lazy to walk from where I should have parked given there were no suitable spaces convenient’.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122373890#Comment_122373890

Or…….It never really happened.

MakersMark

With all the money EV drivers are saving, surely a parking ticket is not somethings to worry about....

BeepBeep67

Why would that be relevant to someone driving a diesel!

Jim_Hodge

……….

MakersMark

D'oh....I had wrongly assumed that the OP parked an EV in the space without paying for parking!

Sorry!

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122372460#Comment_122372460

if you said you’d take your chances then why not be an adult and pay the fine. You knew what you are doing and hopefully won’t be so stupid the next time . And yes, I have parked in central Navan and no I don’t own an EV but I equally don’t park like a dick.

This content has been removed.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058359356/parking-fine-in-electric-vehicle-bay

You are aware of it now.

Ignorance of regulations is no excuse.

There are no "fine" or "no parking" signs on most disability parking spaces. Do you park in them?

Did the road markings and fact that a charger was in situ not give you a little hint?

You have less than zero chance of a successful appeal

Lenar3556

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122377041#Comment_122377041

Not quite a fair comparison.

Regulations surrounding parking in disabled persons parking bays (on a public road) are provided for by legislation, and there is signage requirements within that. This is applicable across the country.

Parking in a space designated for charging a car isn’t. Rules surrounding it are at the discretion of individual local authorities. I have no idea of the particular position in Navan, but the OP would need to look at the position locally - as it will vary across the country.

JVince

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122386688#Comment_122386688

But the bays are clearly marked, so you'd err on the side of caution if you didn't know or were unsure. Signage almost certainly would say "Electric vehicle charging only" or similar.

Its also covered with legislation and the makes it a parking offence for vehicles not charging to park in these spaces. So an ev can't just park there without actively using the charger.

Only way the op could get off the fine is if there was no proper signage saying "EV charging only" or similar as such signage is in the guidelines for installation

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122386688#Comment_122386688

The OP said "I know I shouldn't have been in the charging bay" so I guess the regulations were clear enough to them from the signs near the charging bay.

Robbo

Gonna do something a little different here just to contrast this to some other areas of Boards where you can find some genuinely awful attempts at stating the law in relation to road traffic matters.

So here's everything from first principles…

The Offence

Section 35(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1994 (as amended) establishes the power to fine for certain parking offences and the most recently stated version of this provision is:

(5)(a) A person who contravenes a regulation under this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(b) Where, in relation to the parking of a mechanically propelled vehicle, there is a contravention of a regulation under this section, each of the following persons shall be guilty of an offence—

(i) the registered owner of the vehicle,

(ii) if the vehicle is the subject of a hire-drive agreement on the occasion in question, the person to whom the vehicle is hired under the agreement, and

(iii) if the person who parked the vehicle is not its registered owner or the person to whom it is hired under a hire-drive agreement, the first-mentioned person.

The Regulations here are the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 (S.I. No. 182 of 1997), were most relevantly amended by the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Car Clubs and Electrically Powered Vehicles) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 325 of 2014), which insert Regulation 44B, the offence of parking in an EV charging bay:

Electrically Powered Vehicle Recharging Bay
44B (1) Subject to sub-article (2), where traffic sign number RRM 035 [Electrically Powered Vehicle Recharging Bay] is provided, a vehicle shall not be stopped or parked.

(2) Sub-article (1) shall not apply to a vehicle that is an electrically powered vehicle the battery of which is being recharged.

Traffic Sign RRM 0035 is most recently defined in the Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 444 of 2015) as:

“Traffic sign number RRM 035 shall—
(a) indicate an electrically powered vehicle recharging bay, and
(b) consist of the words ‘Electric  Vehicle Charging Only’ or ‘EV charging Only’, written on the roadway in white in letters at least 350mm in height.”

The Fine

The legal basis for this offence attracting an €80 fixed charge penalty notice is set out in Schedule 5 to the Road Traffic Act 2010 (Part 3) (Fixed Charge Offences) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 227 of 2024).

95216

If there's no sign then how are you meant to know that you can't park there? It's a valid space

Claw Hammer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388392#Comment_122388392

You will find out when you get a fine!

SVI40

Put you in the boot, tow the car and crush it. Then send a bill to your estate. Simples.

Lenar3556

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388341#Comment_122388341

very comprehensive & thanks

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388392#Comment_122388392

There likely was signage but even so motorists should know the basic rules. There's no sign at double yellow lines or stating you don't park on footpaths.

Seth Brundle

Not sure why this discussion is still ongoing. The OP knew they shouldn't have parked there but too a chance (and lost). However, evennifnit was jot clearly signposted as an EV space, they still didn't Pay & Display.

The OP made their choice to break multiple rules and got caught and then unsuccessfully sought out a way to try and get out of the punishment. I just hope it was a tasty sandwich they bought!

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388392#Comment_122388392

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388392#Comment_122388392

the “sign@

Is simply “electrical vehicle parking only” being written on the road is letters at elast 500mm in size. I suspect that wa sin place!

Marcusm

The double yellow ljines are the sign!

sugarman20

Can't believe no one is asking the important question here, what kind of sandwich did you get?

Exiled Rebel

The ESB EV chargers in public car parks in Navan have signage in place. They are located in paid parking car parks. The OP was caught bang to rights.