Single and double yellow lines, resident only areas - even pavements - all have been fair game for years when it comes to parking in Newport .
Gwent Police , whose responsibility it is to enforce such measures, has previously said that parking enforcement "is currently not a policing priority" - meaning that people have long been able to leave their cars wherever they want in the city without fear of being slapped with a fine.
But all that is to change as of tomorrow (Monday, July1) as the transfer of ticketing powers to Newport City Council gets underway.
The local authority has recruited a 14-strong team of civil enforcement officers who will be following the Highway Code to the letter and cracking down on any vehicles parked unlawfully.
This includes:
- parking on yellow lines
- overstaying time limits on parking bays
- parking across drop kerbs
- parking more than 50cm from the edge of the kerb
Those failing to adhere to these restrictions will be fined either £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, or £50 for lesser parking offences, again reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days.
Those drivers wishing to challenge a penalty charge notice will have to follow the instructions on the reverse of the notice and submit a written challenge to the address stated within a fortnight of it being issued.
Windscreen warning notices have already been handed to those not obeying the rules in the run-up to the July 1 D-Day, along with a comprehensive #ParkRight social media campaign aimed at spreading the word about the new stricter regime.
In addition, many double yellow lines around the city have been refreshed or renewed so that here can be no misunderstanding about where you can and can't park.
Money incurred from the penalty charge notices will be used to cover the cost of operating the enforcement service, with any surplus invested in traffic improvement projects.
Civil enforcement officers will not have targets to issue a set number of penalty charges.
Furthermore, Newport City Council does not intend to introduce vehicle clamping or removal at this stage.
