The Department for Transport (DfT) is forking out thousands of pounds to pay parking fines incurred by its drivers.

Over the past seven years, the Department has footed the bill for £38,760 worth of parking fines.

This is despite the DfT stating that it and its agencies have a policy that parking tickets and speeding fines remain the responsibility of the individual driver and are not reimbursed from public resources.

Last year, the Department paid out almost £6,000 in parking fines, compared to just £2,000 in 1999/2000.

While the DfT is adamant that its drivers should pay their own parking fines, there are clearly exceptions, as road minister Jim Fitzpatrick explained during parliamentary question times.

“The main exception to this is the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA), which pays parking tickets when they arise operationally in circumstances where the overriding security requirements necessarily dictate the choice of parking location,” he said.

“The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) also pays parking fines under exceptional circumstance such as during court appearances.”