New parking enforcement measures revealed
Date: 31/03/2008 12:00:00
The government has announced the introduction of new measures that it claims will make enforcement of parking rules "more motorist-friendly", car insurance customers might be interested to read.
Unveiled by the Department for Transport (DfT) today (March 31st), these changes form part of the Traffic Management Act and include better powers for councils needing to coordinate roadworks to reduce disruption for road users, businesses and residents.
The measures also call on councils to refrain from using parking fines as a way of raising funds, as well as to avoid setting ticket targets and only use wheel-clamping on those who regularly evade penalty charges.
Councils should also focus on the most disruptive or dangerous parking behaviour - including unauthorised parking in spaces for disabled users - and issue lower fines for less serious offences, according to the DfT.
However, another rule change, which will see parking attendants able to post tickets to offending drivers, has been criticised by the AA.
"Some local authorities have lost sight of the original aims of parking enforcement, which [were] to keep traffic flowing, warn selfish drivers, punish blatant offenders and keep legitimate use of car parking spaces ticking over," commented Edmund King, president of the AA.
"Drivers will feel that tickets by post [are] just an extension of 'open season' on the motorist."