Need Parking In Central London?

15 March 2010

London is one of the most populated places on the planet, and is an epicentre of business, culture and nightlife. With congestion charges and a large population, London can be a daunting place to visit, and an even more daunting place to try and find a parking space in. Therefore, whether you live or work in England’s capital, finding cheap parking in London or long term parking in London is a well-deserved stroke of luck.

24 7 Parking offer you parking spaces throughout London, and can even give car parking in Central London, which means that you can have access to all of Central London’s nightlife, landmarks and places of work for a reasonable sum. Anyone who does commute to London will realise just how hard it can be to find well-situated, safe parking in London, but also how essential it is to get a good parking space if you’re travelling to London – either as a sightseer or for work. The effort involved in achieving a decent place to park is tiring, and often provides no guarantee.

An alternative to car parking in central London is to use public transport, but this has its own problems, as trains don’t always run on time and public transport has limitations with drop-off points. By parking in Central London, however, you can avoid all of these issues. If you’re parking frequently, 24 7 Parking offers you long term parking in London, which is ideal if you work in Central London. Regular visits to London can be made much more hassle-free with the guarantee of a well-situated parking space.

Avoiding Parking Tickets In London

12 March 2010

More fines are issued for illegal parking in Central London than anywhere else in the UK. There are traffic wardens, CCTV, mobile cameras and Police traffic officers all keeping an eye out for poorly parked drivers, so it is worth keeping a few things in mind when parking in London.

Read the signs

Carefully read the signs at the road side so that you are aware of the times and conditions of the restrictions. Just because other vehicles are parked there, does not necessarily mean they are parked correctly.

Ensure you have change

Make sure you have enough change to pay the meter for your stay. You must pay as soon as you park and you are usually not allowed to return and buy more time at the same location.

Don’t park in disabled bays

Disabled bays are for blue badge holders only, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although parking in London can be a nightmare at the best of times, parking in disabled bays illegally is likely to be the most unethical offence.

Avoid yellow lines

You are not allowed to park on a yellow line when restrictions apply, although you can pick people up or drop them off at the kerbside without waiting. Vehicles being used for loading and unloading or making commercial deliveries and collections can be left on a yellow line.

Find out about parking in advance

It is advisable to book London parking in advance with a long term parking company like 24 7 Parking. Be it cheap parking in Canary Wharf or long term parking in Kingston, 24 7 Parking can help.

Parking In London – Know Your Enemy

11 March 2010

After driving and parking in London for any period of time, you will soon learn that the humble motorist has two mortal enemies; traffic wardens and wheel clampers. Between them, they seem to hunt for naive and frustrated motorists and catch them out in built up areas, namely people parking in Central London.

Traffic Wardens

Known these days as Parking Attendants, it is the job of this group of people to enforce the local parking laws, which can differ from council to local council.  They can issue tickets (usually a fixed fine which can rise if not paid within a certain number of days) when they see an infringement and leave a ticket on the car itself, or with the driver, if present.

Wheel clampers

Wheel clampers in London seem to strike like lightning. You could pop into a chemist for some cough sweets and by the time you return to your illegally parked vehicle, a big yellow clamp has appeared on your wheel. To get a wheel clamp removed and pay the associated parking fine will generally cost you at least £150 – £200. And, depending on where you are ‘parked’, you may find that your car will be towed away if you don’t pay within two hours!

One way to legally and safely beat these enforcers is to book London parking in advance with a long term parking company like 24 7 Parking. We can provide long term parking in London which is affordable and secure. Whether you are looking for cheap parking in Mayfair or long term parking in Kingston, 24 7 Parking can help. For more information, visit www.247parking.com and contact us today.

Long Term Parking In Central London

10 March 2010

Finding cheap, available parking in Central London has become something of a nightmare. Searching for vacant parking spaces now means fighting traffic and pedestrians while you compete with other drivers in the hope that chance will take pity on you and provide a vacant space. Aside from the stress, there are other reasons why parking in London regularly has become such a headache:

Congestion Charge

The congestion charge is payable for each vehicle travelling through Central London during the day, Monday to Friday. However, there is no charge at weekends, so it is just business commuters who pay this charge.

Price Increases

The cost of parking in London around major transport hubs increased significantly in 2009. Price increases coupled with the economic downturn make it no longer an affordable option for many commuters.

Permits Only!

Full-time residents living in Central London have now been issued with parking permits by local authorities; park in these places and you risk a hefty fine if you don’t have the appropriate permit.

There is no doubt that, should you choose to drive to and from Central London long term, you will need to think ahead and plan accordingly. To avoid all the hassle and stress involved with searching for casual parking in London, it really is a good idea to pre-book a parking space.

24 7 Parking offers long-term parking season tickets for three, six or 12 months and sites are secure with access available to ticket holders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information visit www.247parking.com and contact us today.

Parking In London – Congestion Charge

9 March 2010

Price increases in public transport are now making commuters reconsider using their vehicles to get to work in London. However, the infamous Congestion Charge can be a kick in the teeth to any driver looking for parking in Central London. The Congestion Charge was originally brought in to improve traffic flow and fight pollution in the capital, as congestion in the city was getting out of control with motorists in Central London spending up to 50% of their journey time in traffic jams.

The charge is enforced only on weekdays when motorists entering the designated zones between 7am and 6pm must pay either £9 or £10 a day, depending on payment method. Any motorist who fails to pay for this parking in London before midnight the following day will receive a £120 fine. Some people and vehicles such as residents, disabled drivers, alternative fuel vehicles, public transport vehicles and licensed breakdown organisations are exempt from paying, or can get discounts. The zones are marked with roadside signs as well as a large ‘C’ painted on the road surface. The area was extended westwards towards Notting Hill and Kensington in February 2007, but the Western Extension will be removed in 2010.

To help motorists commute, 24 7 Parking provide long term parking in London, both inside and outside the Congestion Charge zone, which is affordable and secure. Whether you are looking for cheap parking in Kensington or long term parking in Kingston, 24 7 Parking can help. For more information or to book online, visit www.247parking.com and contact us today.