Parking fines in South Ayrshire could go up  from £60 to £100 if councillors agree with recommendations next week.

Motorists receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) when they contravene parking regulations, this is usually related to double yellow lines, school keep clear markings, disabled and loading bays.

During a Scottish Government consultation all of the councils who responded said they would seek an increase in PCN charges, which have not increase in more than 20 years.

New guidance allows councils to set a new PCN rate, with South Ayrshire Council’s cabinet set to decide on the issue next Tuesday.

If agreed the increase would come into effect in October.

The current PCN charge is £60. If the fine is paid early that is reduced to £30 and goes up to £90 if it remains unpaid.

The report provides two other options. The first is for a basic penalty charge of £80, an early payment discount of £40 and a higher rate of £120.

A higher increase would see a basic fine of £100, a reduced rate of £50 and a late payment rate of £150.

The report points out that the penalty charge has been set at £60 since the introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement, which allowed councils to enforce parking and hand out PCNs, in 2001 .

The council says that, adjusted for inflation, the penalty charge notice would be  £105.

The report continues: “An increase in the cost of a PCN will support behaviour change and improvement in parking compliance in the important areas.

“Of the other Scottish local authorities who have already increased the PCN rates, the higher rate increase has been the approved option.

“All other roads authorities which are in the process of presenting recommendations to their respective administrations, such as South Lanarkshire and Argyll and Bute, are also seeking approval to adopt the higher rate increase.”

The council says that the income from fines is reinvested in parking services, public transport, and road/environmental improvements.

If councillors agree to adopt the higher rate increase officers estimate that the fine income could increase by 25 percent or £70,000.

The report indicates that this estimate takes into account the potential reduction in the number of fines handed out with the increased fine acting as a deterrent.

It continues: “It is, therefore, the officer recommendation to approve the adoption of the higher

“Parking levels have yet to return to pre-Covid levels, this coupled with the 2 hour free parking to be introduced and the replacement of machines at a cost of £100,000 to facilitate this, it is unlikely that income recovery this financial year will have a significant impact on resources.”