More errors found in council's road restrictions

Reading Borough Council previously said it had issued more than 6,000 incorrect fines

A local authority that issued thousands of incorrect parking fines over an 11-year period has found more issues with its driving and parking restrictions.

In October 2024, Reading Borough Council apologised after its own investigation found it had incorrectly issued 6,136 penalty charge notices (PCNs) between 2013 and 2024.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service found that during the process of correcting the erroneous traffic regulation orders (TROs) at the root of the invalid fines, more had been identified.

The council said the new TRO issues found had not changed the number of incorrect PCNs that had been issued.

TROs are responsible for establishing rules around things like bus and cycle lanes, parking restrictions, and double yellow lines, and give councils the power to fine anyone breaking the rules.

But more TROs with errors have now been found.

One involves the London Street southbound bus lane, which incorrectly says hackney carriage taxis and cyclists can use it.

There was also confusing typos with "AM and PM" signage on parking bays in the town centre, and double lines at Durham Close in Whitley where sections were not covered by a TRO.

The typos and the issue with the double yellow lines have already been rectified, with an updated TRO covering the parking bays and the removal of yellow lines at Durham Close.

The council wants the bus lane TRO to be changed to officially allow hackney carriage taxis and cyclists, with a consultation into the plan open until 11 September.

The issues with all three TROs are set to be presented at the council's traffic management sub-committee meeting on Thursday.

The council said an update on the number of claims that had been made, and fines that had been paid back, would be given on 25 September.