The Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

Offences relating to parking places on roads where charges may be made N.I.

19.—(1) If the driver of a vehicle—

(a) otherwise than as authorised under Article 15—

(i) leaves the vehicle in a parking place designated under that Article; or

(ii) leaves the vehicle there for longerF1 after the excess charge has been incurred than the time so authorised; or

(b) fails duly to pay any charge payable in respect of the vehicle; or

(c) contravenes any provision of an order under that Article as to—

(i) the manner in which vehicles shall be driven into or out of a parking place; or

(ii) the position in which vehicles shall be left in a parking place,

he is guilty of an offence.

(2) In relation to an offence under paragraph (1)(b) the reference to the driver of a vehicle shall be construed as a reference to the person driving the vehicle at the time it was left in the parking place.

(3) If any person, whether the driver of a vehicle or not, contravenes any provision of an order under Article 15 otherwise than as mentioned in paragraph (1), he is guilty of an offence.

(4) A person who, with intent to defraud, interferes with a parking meter or operates or attempts to operate a parking meter by the c insertion of objects other than current coins or bank notes of the appropriate denomination or the appropriate credit or debit cards is guilty of an offence.

(5) Where, in any proceedings for an offence under this Article of failing to pay any charge, it is proved that the amount which has r become due, or any part of that amount, has not been duly paid, the court shall order the payment of the sum not paid and any such order may be enforced in like manner as an order for the payment of a sum adjudged to be paid on a conviction.

(6) Any sum ordered under paragraph (5) to be paid shall, for the purposes of any enactment providing for imprisonment in default of payment of a sum adjudged to be paid on a conviction, be aggregated with the amount of the fine, if any, ordered to be paid in respect of the offence.

F1 (7) Where, in any proceedings for an offence under this Article of failing to pay an excess charge, it is not proved that the excess charge had become due, but it is proved that an initial charge has not been paid, the defendant may be convicted of an offence under this Article of failing to pay an initial charge.

(8) Without prejudice to the right of any other person to institute proceedings the Department may institute proceedings for an offence under this Article.

(9) Any apparatus (within the meaning of Article 26) and any notice or traffic sign erected by the Department for the purposes of a designated parking place shall, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been lawfully so erected.

F1 prosp. rep. by 2005 NI 14