A number of local authorities have made record profits from parking fees and fines, it has emerged. The surplus cash is being used to plug holes in transport budgets created by central government cuts – a fact that is causing consternation among many motorists.

An overall increase of 14.9 per cent has been recorded, amounting to a £411m surplus. This figure is almost as high as the £442 million cut to the highways budget.

Councils have admitted they are using these cash surpluses to pay for transport related costs, such as free bus passes for the elderly, filling potholes, park and ride schemes, and general road improvement projects. All these areas benefit the road user in some way (minimising congestion, for example), yet many of our valued annual breakdown cover customers will no doubt be angered by the way drivers are being used as cash cows by local authorities in order to fill budgets that should be paid for with road tax, or from central government funds.

There are concerns that these funds are being used to cover other shortfalls in budgets relating to services outside transport. It has even been suggested that such practices may be illegal.

With motorists already paying a high price for being able to use their cars, a cost composed of costly fuel and insurance – and ever-decreasing CO2 limits for the greener road tax bands – these surpluses run the risk of making motorists feel they are bearing the brunt of government transport cuts.