Birmingham’s Parking Ticket Hotspots: REVEALED!

Driving in Birmingham can be tough at times, right? The city known for Spaghetti Junction is hardly likely to be a breeze to get around and one study even ranked Brum’s drivers as the third-worst in the country.

Whether you end up in a bus lane, park on double yellows or get caught going the wrong way up a one-way street, you’re likely to be hit with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Plus, it’s safe to say some areas of the city are more militant than others when it comes to dishing out PCNs.

Creating a dataset using Freedom of Information requests, the Midlands-based road experts at Instarmac, who manufacture mastic asphalt identified Birmingham’s top ten ticket hotspots from the first three months of 2025 – so you can steer clear of them.  

1.   Alum Rock Road (2,329 tickets)

Saltley’s Alum Rock Road leads the way in terms of the city’s worst places to park – with a whopping 2,329 PCNs issued in the first three months of 2025! Most of this busy, bustling road features double or single-yellow lines, and the street is host to a school zone, so there’s plenty of places to get caught out with a parking ticket.

2.   Stratford Road, Sparkhill (1,902 tickets)

Stretching from Bordesley all the way out to the M42, it’s unsurprising that Stratford Road takes a place on this list. However, the real hotspot for parking tickets on this sprawling road is the Sparkhill leg, where 1,902 tickets were issued in the first three months of 2025. This section of the street is a Red Route, with one hour of free parking allowed between Monday and Saturday – which might explain the number of tickets!  

3.   Gas Street (889 tickets)

Gas Street, a one-way road just off Broad Street, is the first city-centre location in this list. Although some of the street is home to paid parking, there is also a section of the road that has a 24-hour no stopping rule (unless you’re driving a taxi). It’s easy to see how city drivers could be caught out here, with 889 tickets issued in the leadup to March 31st of this year. 

4.   Coventry Road, Small Heath (843 tickets)

Turning into an A-road and heading out past Birmingham Airport, Coventry Road is another of the long, sprawling roads on this list. However, it’s one small section – in Small Heath – that’s become the hotspot for parking tickets, with 843 tickets dished out here

5.   Cornwall Street (730 tickets)

Another city-centre location that ranks highly on this list was Cornwall Street, where 730 tickets were issued in the leadup to March 31st 2025. You might be forgiven for picking up a ticket on Cornwall Street, given that the road went from a two-way street to a one-way street and back again, due to construction work in 2024!

6.   Lionel Street (680 tickets)

Just a couple of streets away is the next location in this list – Lionel Street, in the jewellery quarter, with 680 tickets issued in the first quarter of 2025. Although Lionel Street is home to a large private car park, all on-street parking is permit-only, which might explain why so many tickets have been issued already this year!

7.   Berkley Street (658 tickets)

Berkley Street is another one-way street – are you sensing a theme here? It’s also connected to another ticket hotspot, Gas Street. So, we can’t recommend ditching the car to run into the shops, but if you are thinking about it, avoid these areas! Berkley Street has already had 658 tickets issued between January 1st and March 31st this year.

8.   Sheepcote Street (592 tickets)

Sheepcote Street – which crosses over two of the city’s major canal routes – takes the number eight spot on this list, with 592 tickets issued here since the start of the year. At one point on this road, the public-access route stops, splitting into a bus lane. We reckon bus lane violations could be the main source of this ticket hotspot!

9.   Washwood Heath Road (570 tickets)

At number nine is Washwood Heath Road – this entry actually connects with this list’s number one, Alum Rock Road. Washwood Heath Road has some pretty complex parking regulations, which can change with the time of the day and the section of the road. Some areas might be suitable for loading during a particular time, but stopping altogether is banned during certain hours – so it’s no surprise there’s been 570 tickets dished out here.

10. Moat Lane (530 tickets)

Solihull’s Moat Lane rounds out our top 10, with 530 tickets issued between January 1st and March 31st this year. Perhaps one of the more unassuming roads on this list, Moat Lane doesn’t have any yellow lines or bus lanes, which might be responsible for driving up parking tickets elsewhere. This road does, however, have a strict no-stopping rule for goods vehicles over five tons – while this might not be the sole cause of the number of tickets issued, it’s likely played a part!