Intensive
parking patrols and rapid response wardens will be introduced by Cardiff Council
this autumn as it takes over enforcement from police.
While some motorists will see this as a way
of raising more money in a stealth tax, the council says it does not believe
the scheme will make a profit in the first year but any additional income over
expenditure in future will be put into park-and-ride, public transport and
highway improvements.
Under
the strategy police traffic wardens would become civil enforcement officers
controlled by Cardiff Council by next September. South Wales Police has been
keen to get rid of the parking enforcement role of wardens in a bid to cut its
costs which have already seen it abandon M4 patrols to Welsh Assembly
Government staff.
The warden team, which will be taken over in its entirety, will work towards a
more flexible approach to deployment. Foot, bike and car patrols will focus on
city centre areas, main traffic routes, Cardiff Bay, schools and district
shopping centres and their adjacent streets.
The enforcement team will also include rapid response mobile patrols. These
officers will answer helpline calls and can drive to any area where they are
needed. Customers can request their help by dialling the Council's
Connect2Cardiff information and advice service. This will enable the public to use parts of the team to meet their own demands,
as and when parking issues arise.
During peak hours central areas and bus routes will be the main focus of the
team with enforcement concentrated on yellow lines in particular. Off-peak,
general parking including short stay car parks would play a bigger role in the
enforcement strategy. This will ensure a regular turn-over of traffic for
shoppers and reduce problems for residents.
Outside
Bristol Zoo is a car park, with spaces for 150 cars and 8 coaches.
It has
been manned 6 days a week for 23 years by the same charming and very polite car park attendant with the
ticket machine. The charges are £1. per car and £5. per coach.
On Monday 1 June, he did not turn up for work. Bristol Zoo management phoned
Bristol City Council to ask them to send a replacement parking attendant.
The Council said "That car park is your responsibility." The Zoo said
"The attendant was employed by the City Council... wasn't he?" The
Council said "What attendant?"
Gone
missing from his home is a man who has been taking fees amounting to about £400
per day for the last 23 years. That's over £2.7M, tax free.
Schools, where parent parking is often of great concern, will be targeted on a
rotational basis.
Weekend and evening enforcement in the city centre and
Cardiff Bay will also play a greater part in the new strategy.
All 35 traffic wardens, along with seven senior officers, would become Cardiff
Council employees under the plans. It is predicted further recruitment would
take place at a later date.
When it is first introduced no profit is expected to be made by the Council
after all costs are paid. If this situation changes in the years ahead all
monies received will be used to aid other parking needs across the city,
including support for park-and-ride, public transport and highway improvements.
Swansea
has civil enforcement of parking but not the rapid response teams of wardens to
hit hot spots.
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