One UK city has been named as the place drivers are mostly likely to receive a parking fine, and it is not London. New data from experts at National Scrap Car has revealed the councils that issued the highest number of tickets last year, warning motorists to “pay extra attention to where they leave their vehicles”. Manchester City Council was revealed as the authority that issued the most parking fines in 2024, handing out more than 460,000.

This revelation has been called “surprising as London might be assumed to be the worst enviroment for drivers, with bus lanes, a struggle for parking spaces, LTNs and Mayor Sadiq Khan’s bevy of charges. “While we would expect to see high levels of fines in a large city like Manchester, it is interesting to see that it outperforms the capital in penalties,” Dorry Potter, vehicle expert at National Scrap Car said.

“The complexities of driving in London alongside its expansive public transport infrastructure could be a reason behind Manchester topping the list as motorists are less likely to attempt driving around areas they are unfamiliar with in the capital and thus not make risky parking decisions.”

The car park of Manchester’s Arndale shopping centre car park was the place where drivers got the most tickets, with 17,356 PCNs dished out.

These accounted for more than £14.6million in revenue for city’s council – over double what the second-highest fining council made.

The London borough of Waltham Forest ranked as the authority handing out the second-highest number of fines (more than 264,000), making £6.3million in revenue.

The number is “notably high due to the area’s inclusion in a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ)”, experts suggest.

These are designated to prioritise parking for residents, businesses, and their visitors during specific times and days.

Without a valid permit, parking in these zones can lead to a fine.

Ealing Borough Council came third, issuing 227,280.

These totalled £5.7million in revenue.

Barking and Dagenham Council in London came in fourth, issuing 213,059 that collected £5.2million in revenue.

Enfield Council completes the top five with 192,437 PCNs issued, making £4.4million in revenue.

Mr Potter added: “The findings from our study only highlight the increasing need for drivers to check parking rules and restrictions when parking in major cities especially as new legislation around low-emission zones is being rolled out across the country.”

Full list of the councils that issued the most fines

Manchester City Council

464,880

Waltham Forest Borough Council

264,817

Ealing Borough Council

227,280

Barking and Dagenham Council

213,059

Enfield Council

192,437

Liverpool City Council

170,935

Merton Borough Council

140,818

Reading Borough Council

127,519

Coventry City Council

104,502

Richmond upon Thames Borough Council

101,334