More than 700 parking tickets have been handed out in Caerphilly County Borough within a month of the council taking over civil parking enforcement.
Enforcement officers capable of issuing fines have been in place since the council took over responsibilities from Gwent Police on April 8.
Unlawful parking is said to be reducing in Caerphilly’s town centres and outside school gates at peak hours, according to the council.
More than 2,000 ‘fake’ parking tickets were issued ahead of the local authority’s takeover of civil parking enforcement.
But fines have been issued ever since the scheme was formally introduced in the borough, with members of the public inundating officers with calls to enforce hotspots.
Deputy council leader Sean Morgan said: “It is encouraging that we are already seeing improvements across the area with noticeable differences in our busy town centres, which is good news for shoppers and retailers alike.
“Inconsiderate parking can cause obstructions, reduce traffic flow and cause road safety concerns as well as affecting business if loading bays and other restricted spaces are obstructed.”
Motorists face fines of up to £70 for the most serious offences, and £50 or £25 for lesser parking breaches.
All income received from fines will fund the enforcement service, with any extra money set aside for reinvestment into the borough’s road network.
A Caerphilly Council spokesman said it was difficult to put a figure on the total income from fines for the first month as maximum fines can be reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.
Officers are not expected to be hitting any targets for the number of tickets issued or money recouped from fines, says Cllr Morgan.
He added: “Our priority is to make the streets of the county borough safer for motorists and pedestrians.”