San Bruno B.A.R.T.

  Drivers who park illegally at Bay Area Rapid Transit stations will be losing more money when the agency begins charging higher fines Tuesday.

  During 2007 BART police officer issued almost 66,000 parking citations to drivers violating parking rules, according to the agency. By increasing fines BART officials hope to discourage drivers from parking in permit-only areas or drivers who leave their cars in lots for more than 24 hours.

  "Parking space poachers interfere with our ability to provide promised parking to our pre-paid permit holders and daily parking for other law-abiding BART patrons," BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger said in a statement.

  Parking tickets are now $25 for unlawfully parking in a permit area, or in any other section of the parking lot, BART reported. As of Tuesday it will be a $40 ticked for illegally parking in a permit or red zone, and $35 for any other parking violation.

  The BART Board of Directors approved the rate increases during their March 13 meeting, the agency reported.

  "The increased penalties that the BART Board adopted last month are comparable to what other Bay Area agencies and cities levy," BART's Customer Access Department Manager Kevin Hagerty said in a statement.