More than £14m in parking fines have been issued across Northern Ireland over the last two years, according to the latest figures.
Between April 2023 and January 2025, revenue from penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued across Northern Ireland by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) totalled £14.4m.
Figures released via a Freedom of Information request to Compare NI show that the department collected £720,000 of fines in January 2025, while October 2024 was the most lucrative month, bringing in £850,000.
More: Nearly £10m worth of parking and bus lane fines written-off in five years
DfI says it issues parking tickets in order to reduce the number of illegally-parked cars, helping to lower congestion, improve road safety and improve accessibility for road users.
Charges issued for on-street parking, bus lane contraventions and parking offences at the three department-owned park and ride sites are returned to DfI.
Revenue from tickets issued at council-owned car parks are returned to the relevant council.
Overall, a year-on-year increase of 15% in money from PCNs was noted for the period April to December between 2023 and 2024.
The figures also revealed the council areas which had the highest number of tickets issued.
In the last quarter of 2024, more than 14,000 tickets were issued in Belfast, making it the area with the greatest number of fines, followed by 3,000 charges handed out in Derry and Strabane.
Managing Director at CompareNI.com, Ian Wilson, said the “growing issue isn’t going away”.
“Parking charges are another expensive issue for drivers in Northern Ireland, and for the most part, are avoidable.
“Motoring has never been so expensive and with the fluctuating costs of fuel, tax and insurance, additional charges are the last thing drivers here need.”
While the revenue from PCNs has increased, drivers across the north successfully appealed 7,455 on-street and park-and-ride tickets between April 2023 and January 2025.
During the same period, 6,793 council car park tickets were also overturned.
Figures for successful car park appeals in Antrim & Newtownabbey, Causeway Coast & Glens and Mid & East Antrim were not available.