Parking tickets 'harder to avoid'

The new wardens will enforce parking and waiting restrictions

Motorists who park illegally will have more chance of getting caught and face increased fines from the end of the month, the government has warned.

Parking offences will be decriminalised from 30 October when responsibility for enforcement passes from the PSNI to the Department for Regional Development.

However, minister David Cairns said the new traffic wardens would "make our streets less congested and safer".

"Where necessary, they will issue penalty notices of £60," he added.

If paid within 14 days of receiving the ticket, this charge will be reduced to £30 - the current cost of fixed penalty notices issued by the PSNI.

Mr Cairns said the new wardens would make the streets safer

Clamping and impounding is also being introduced, although the government said it "will initially only be used to recover outstanding debt or in circumstances where persistent offenders are a problem".

The de-clamp fee will be £40 while the cost to recover a vehicle that has been impounded will be £105, in addition to the cost of the parking ticket.

Enforcement has been contracted out to a private company, but the department says it has not set any targets for the amount of tickets to be collected by the firm and its individual wardens.

The new wardens will only enforce parking and waiting restrictions, while responsibility for directing traffic remains with the PSNI.