Posted by Hugo Trumpton on July 25, 2005, 8:57 pm The 50% discount offered by some authorities is an incentive for swift payment. The author has turned it into an increase of the penalty by suggesting that the payment increases after 14 days, but that is incorrect. As I understand it, in most authorities the motorist has the right to appeal during the discount period, and the general policy of most authorities is to putthat discount on hold while the appeal is being processed. That means you still get the opportunity to pay at the discounted rate even if the ticket is upheld. That isn't them hiking it up by %50, thats them knocking %50 off your ticket! There are many stages of the appeals process, and if you are not satisifed with your local authority's decision, you can appeal to the National Parking Adjudicator. That is an independant body made up of barristers and other legal experts. All of the cases the author presents reflect a motorist who is not observing the signage correctly. It is the motorists responsibilty to ensure they check all the signage when they park. From what he describes in the cases, it sounds like all the tickets were issued correctly. The appeals procedure is there to see whether or not discretion can be excercised, but if when the author came face to face with staff that were trying to help him, all he could do was be abusive, I am not suprised he is so confused about the whole situation. I also find it hard to follow the argument about how he might get caught, but it is not fair, as others are getting away with it. There are lots of people who ignore building regulations. Should we let them off because there is a guy at no. 45 with a dodgy extenstion who hasnt been pulled up? There are plenty of people around that bugger sheep. The police dont catch all of them. Should we let the ones they do off because they never got all the rest of them? Some people hate Warden's and Parking Attendants, but I think they really are one of the backbones of our society. You do not get a police presence on the streets nowadays. I like to see uniformed folk on the streets, it gives a sense of order. And they really do an essential job. People who think they can just nip in here and there and think they are not causing much harm, and then get angry when they are issued with a ticket are forgetting one key thing. If the Wardens and Attendants were not there, then everyone wouldbe doing it, all the time, and then motorists would be a darn sight more fed up than they are now. There is a practical example. When a foul up led to St. Albans hanving a period without a contracted Parking Services Operator, mayhem broke out almost overnight. People couldnt walk sdown the pavement for cars being parked all over them, there were cars left in the middle of busy roads, it was madness. The people of St Albans were soon begging for their Parking Attendants back. So remember, the next time you sneer at a Traffic Warden or Parking Attendant, they might be the guy wandering down the street who puts a villain off robbing your home. They might be the guy who chases off someone who was about to key your car. They might even be the guy who stopped the traffic so your kids could cross the road safely. They are a pair of eyes and ears that our society needs and I've got to say I think they are great. They get so much grief and it is not fair. And without them, the traffic system would collapse completely. Without question.
80.3.0.44
I've just read the article on parking on this web site, and I've got to say, its largely nonsense. First of all, the author continually refers to "offences" but parking offences were largely decriminalised in the 1991 Road Traffic Act. All of the occasions described in the article are contraventions of the parking regulations rather than illegal offences that break the law. Whether or not a local authority runs its own parking services, it is a requirement that the authority adheres to a fully auditted procedure. This procedure covers the entire issuing and appealing of penalty charge notices. As such, the Traffic Warden (who is directly employeed by the local authority) or the Parking Attendant (who usually is employeed by a contractor on behalf of the local authority) has no lee way. If they observe a vehicle in contravention they must issue a penalty charge notice. Issueing such a notice requires considerable expertise as the Warden or Attendant must record details meticulously. The Warden or Attendant's pocket book is a legal record, comparable with a police note book. There has been occasions where crimes have been observed taken plac eand recorded and the pocket book has been used as evidence in a court of law.
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