'Fairer' parking deal for drivers

Traffic wardens become civil enforcement officers with the change

Motorists in Wales have been told that parking will become "fairer and clearer" under a new system.

The Welsh Assembly Government said it made clear that local councils should not use parking tickets to raise money.

Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said it would make parking arrangements more transparent and easier to challenge.

A motorists' group welcomed the shake-up, but said councils which failed to fight appeals against tickets should pay drivers 10 times the fine.

The regulations have already been on trial in London and have now come into force in both Wales, and in the rest of England outside the capital.

Wheel clamping will be discouraged under new rules

Councils will now be able to issue lower penalties for less serious offences.

They must also ensure that tickets carry full details on how to appeal against the charge.

The changes will also make penalty tickets easier to challenge, and clamping will only be used as a last resort.

CCTV cameras will be used in some areas instead of traffic wardens, who are now to be known as civil enforcement officers.

The assembly government said the changes represented "a new deal for drivers".

Mr Jones, who is also deputy first minister, said: "Parking enforcement measures are necessary to ensure traffic can move safely through our towns and villages. But to work well, they need to be fair - and seen to be fair.

PARKING - COUNCILS SHOULD NOW: Publish enforcement policies, including penalty charges, openly and clearly Regularly appraise parking policies and consult widely to ensure the system works Ensure civil enforcement officers have clear evidence of a contravention before issuing a ticket Ensure the officers and back office staff have the skills and training needed Only use CCTV to enforce rules where it is impractical or dangerous for a parking attendant to operate Source: Welsh Assembly Government

"This new framework will make parking arrangements more transparent and easier to challenge.

"I believe that stronger public support will help provide our communities with a pleasant and less stressful environment."

Stress and expense

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) Trust broadly welcomed the parking changes but said local authorities should pay 10 times the parking fine in compensation if they fail to contest parking appeals from motorists

Tim Shallcross, the IAM Trust's head of policy for Wales, said: "In the past, many motorists who appealed against parking fines received a standard dismissal.

"But when they pressed on with their appeal, local authorities often decided not to contest it and offered no compensation for the time, stress and expense incurred.

"Knowing that failure to follow through on questioned penalty charges could incur compensation of around £800 would encourage local authorities to take every motorist's appeal seriously."

Mr Shallcross said the IAM also wanted the civil enforcement officers to focus on what it calls the hard-to-trace motorists with no tax, who are often uninsured, rather than law-abiding motorists with known addresses.