Puzzle 9 of 10

Is £70 the right council fine for overstaying a pay and display bay?

Spot the mistake in 3 seconds: right ticket, wrong price. Can you see it?

SPECIMEN. A fictional council Penalty Charge Notice from 16 October 2026 charging £70 at the higher level for overstaying paid time. — SPECIMEN. Fictional notice made for a puzzle. Not a real charge, operator or council. The notice is shortened to the lines that matter. The mistake is in a line you can see, or is missing from one of them.

Read the notice as text

Heading: PENALTY CHARGE NOTICE
From: Anytown Council (fictional, band 2 area outside London)
Date of notice: Fri 16 Oct 2026
Vehicle: AB12 IDE
Location: Church Lane on-street pay and display bay, Anytown
Contravention: Parked after the expiry of paid for time (ticket on display, expired 15:30)
Charge level: Higher
Penalty charge: £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days
28 days: The penalty charge must be paid within 28 days beginning with the date of the contravention.

What is wrong with it?

Tap the one you think is the mistake.

The charge level and amount
Yes, that is the mistake.
The 28-day statement
Not this one. Try another.
The 14-day discount
Not this one. Try another.

Show the answer

The mistake: The charge level and amount

Outside London, councils charge one of two amounts depending on how serious the contravention is. The higher level covers things like yellow lines, loading bays and leaving no ticket at all in a pay and display bay. Overstaying a ticket that is on display is not on the higher list, so it takes the lower figure from the same band. In a band 2 area that is £50, or £25 paid early, not £70 and £35. A charge that exceeded the amount applicable is one of the listed grounds. Ask the council to cancel or reissue at the correct amount, and quote the schedule.

The rule it breaks

for all other contraventions, at the level specified in column (3) of the band selected for higher level contraventions.

The Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/71), Schedule 3, para 1(1)(b), read 19 October 2026; quoted word for word.

Also in the text

2. £70 £50 £35 £25 £105 £75

Schedule 3, Table 1, band 2, read 19 October 2026; quoted word for word.

For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule “higher level contraventions” are those road traffic contraventions listed in sub-paragraph (2).

Schedule 3, para 2(1), read 20 October 2026; quoted word for word.

without displaying a permit, voucher or pay and display ticket;

Schedule 3, para 2(2)(b)(i), read 19 October 2026; quoted word for word.

The dates, worked out

Notice	Fri 16 Oct 2026
Band 2 lower level	£50, or £25 paid early
Discount date	14 days beginning Fri 16 Oct 2026 end Thu 29 Oct 2026
28-day period	ends Thu 12 Nov 2026