During the London Olympics in summer 2012 about one million motorists will have to get new permits to park outside their houses and businesses or face up to £200 fines, increasing to about £500 if the vehicle has to be towed away.
In a crackdown on traffic in central London the new rules will be in force for 13 hours a day, seven days a week within one mile of all the Olympic and Paralympic sites in the capital.
The restrictions apply to new areas around the Olympic Park and Greenwich in the east, Wembley in the west and also around Earl’s Court, St John’s Wood and Wimbledon where the existing parking restrictions will be extended. About 400,000 properties will be affected.
The new parking regulations are designed to facilitate both access to the Olympic sites for participants and spectators and to keep people from coming into London with their cars just for the day.
Any vehicles registered at addresses in the affected areas should be automatically inserted into an electronic exemption system. However there are worries that there may be problems with the new number plate recognition system, which it is estimated has only an 80 per cent success rate.
The Olympics take place from 27 July–12 August and the Paralympics from 29 August–9 September.
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