Motorists who challenge parking tickets should get 25% off even if they LOSE appeal, MPs say Would help drivers who want to challenge a ticket but decide against it because they will lose 50% discount offered to those who pay straight away Drivers should be given a five minute 'grace period' before getting a ticket Councils should be forced to publish annual parking-charge reports to show where revenue comes from and where it is being used The ideas are part of blueprint for a crackdown on 'cowboy' councils and parking firms who fleece law-abiding motorists Motorists who appeal against parking ticket they believe unfair - and lose - should still be given a 25 per cent discount off their fines, MP watchdogs said today. This would help drivers who want to challenge a ticket but decide against it because they will automatically lose the 50 per cent discount currently offered to those who pay up straight away. Drivers also should be given a five minute "grace period" before having a ticket slapped on the windscreen. Routine use of spy cameras should be outlawed to stop drivers being viewed as "wallets n wheels." they add. And motorists should not have to appeal against parking tickets where tribunal adjudicators have repeatedly identified a problem - such as poor signage. But critics say this is a perverse incentive bordering on blackmail. The ideas are part of blueprint for a crackdown on "cowboy" councils and parking firms who fleece law-abiding motorists by using parking tickets as a "cash cow" to raise revenue for their own coffers. To ensure transparency, councils should be forced to publish annual parking-charge reports to show where revenue comes from and where it is being used, says the new report published today by the House of Commons" Transport Select committee. The use of parking charges and fines specifically to raise revenue is "neither acceptable nor legal', says its chairman Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside. Launching a report by her committee into local authority parking enforcement in England, Mrs Ellman said: 'There is a deep-rooted public perception that parking enforcement is used as a cash cow, so it's essential that local authorities apply stringent transparency.' To ensure transparency, councils should be forced to publish annual parking-charge reports to show where revenue comes from and where it is being used The committee said local authorities in England had a collective parking surplus in the hundreds of millions of pounds, but that the exact amount was subject to debate. It said the Local Government Association had reported a surplus from on and off-street parking of £411million in 2011/12 while the RAC Foundation reported a surplus of £565 million in 2011/12. The Department of Communities and Local Government says net income on off-street and on-street parking) is expected to rise from £601million in 2012/13 to £635 million in 2013/14 - an increase of 5.6 per cent. This includes income from both parking charges (such as pay and display tickets) as well as fines. Mrs Ellman said of forcing councils to disclose how much money is collected and how it is spent: "Annual parking accounts would allow the public to see how much local revenue is derived from the enforcement of fines, and what proportion of this come from on or off-street parking charges. 'It's right that parking charges be determined locally, but hard to justify fines that substantially exceed penalties for more serious offences like speeding. The use of parking charges and fines specifically to raise revenue is 'neither acceptable nor legal', says its chairman Louise Ellman The Government should consider imposing the maximum penalty charge and develop differential fines for less serious parking violations. She noted:"Common sense also suggests the Department for Transport's statutory guidance should stipulate that local authorities implement a 'grace period' of five minutes after the expiry of paid-for time on any paid parking before enforcement officers issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). On plans to stop drivers being discouraged from appealing she said: "A 25 per cent penalty charge discount should also be introduced for motorists who pay within seven days of losing any appeal to a parking tribunal. Local authorities currently offer a 50 per cent discount if motorists pay their penalty charge within 14 days, but remove this benefit entirely from motorists who appeal to a tribunal. The Government must impose a statutory requirement on them to refund monies received from invalid penalty charge notices. Mrs Ellman said: "Adjudicators should also be given powers to allow appeals where local authorities fail to follow statutory guidance concerning the use of cameras - their use should not be routine - or issue penalty charge notices in settings where exemptions such as resident permits or Blue Badges are not visible to such camera equipment." The committee said that the workplace parking levy (WPL) scheme in Nottingham must be carefully evaluated before it is rolled out elsewhere. Penalty charge rates vary with the maximum charge in London £130 while outside London the same figure is £70. By comparison, the maximum fixed penalty for speeding is £60 unless the case is referred to court. In 2006 a total of 3,568,462 parking tickets were issued by 160 councils in England and Wales but outside London. But the total number in 2010/11 increased by 21per cent to 4,319,708. However, the number of councils adopting civil parking enforcement powers increased from 160 to 268 over this period - an increase of 67 per cent. By contrast in London, the number of parking tickets issued over the same period fell from 5,185,772 in 2006/07 to 4,131,708 in 2011/12 - a decrease of 20 per cent. AA president Edmund King said: "The AA receives many complaints about parking enforcement and we believe that some of the measures in this report would help to ease the situation. In particular we welcome the five-minute grace period as many drivers are petrified that rushing into the corner shop for change for the pay & display will cost them dearly. Offering a 25 per cent discount to those who lose appeals is a step in the right direction but we still feel that the full discount should be offered. The Government should freeze the maximum penalties for parking offences which already exceed fines for much more serious offences such as speeding or using a mobile phone at the wheel. Mary Creagh MP, Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary said: 'When motorists are struggling with David Cameron's cost of living crisis, out of touch ministers are looking at hiking parking fines.This is a serious report that demands a serious response from Ministers who should stop thinking up new ways to hit hard pressed motorists in the pocket. A Government spokesman said the report "strengthens the case for changes to be made to parking rules." He noted: "The law is clear. Parking is not a tax or cash cow for local councils. This Government is reining in over-zealous parking enforcement and unfair parking practices, with the levels of parking penalty charges being kept under review. Councillor Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said: 'Parking controls are not being used by councils to raise revenue. They are essential for keeping motorists and pedestrians safe, traffic flowing and ensure people can park near their homes and local shops.