MP welcomes driver-friendly parking rules
This is Essex
By Rob Pritchard
MP Angela Smith welcomed Government plans to make car parking enforcement more driver-friendly.
Under new Department of Transport guidelines, motorists will be less likely to be clamped, will be given discounts for prompt payment and find it easier to appeal against fines they feel are unjustified or unfair.
Persisent offenders, meanwhile, will be targeted and their details kept on a national database.
Parking attendants will also be given comprehensive training under the new system, which is designed to make parking control fairer and more consistent.
Basildon and East Thurrock MP Mrs Smith, Under Secretary of State in the Government's recently formed Department for Communities, has been a long-time campaigner for fairer parking regulations.
She said: "I have been aware of people being unhappy with parking enforcement in both Stanford-le-Hope and Basildon town centres, where motorists have become very distressed about the way they feel they have been treated.
"People should not park where signs tell them not to, but many people I have spoken to just want to be treated consistently, fairly and courteously.
"I believe the Government has listened to those concerns and I think these changes will go a long way towards changing attitudes and actions."
The new guidelines, which will be enforced from summer 2007, were also welcomed by Basildon Town Centre Management boss Jim Furnival.
The management company has repeatedly come under fire for its employment of private clamping firms in its town centre car parks.
Since April, however, it has stopped using clampers and Mr Furnival believes the new guidelines will help motorists better understand why parking regulations are in place.
He said: "Parking is an emotive subject, and we have to deal with the people who simply don't want to pay. However, these rules should make it easier to sort the whole issue out. We will continue to issue parking tickets, but this is only to ensure people park where they are supposed to."
Ian Robertson, Southend Council's executive councillor responsible for parking, welcomed the overhaul to make the process friendlier for drivers.
He said: "We like to make it as friendly as we can.
"Southend is a friendly town and we just like to keep it that way.
"It's not often you see cars being clamped in Southend.
"We make very little money out of parking penalties because of the cost of attendants. We make almost nothing at all.
"We just want to keep the traffic moving as efficiently as we can."
By Rob Pritchard
MP Angela Smith welcomed Government plans to make car parking enforcement more driver-friendly.
Under new Department of Transport guidelines, motorists will be less likely to be clamped, will be given discounts for prompt payment and find it easier to appeal against fines they feel are unjustified or unfair.
Persisent offenders, meanwhile, will be targeted and their details kept on a national database.
Parking attendants will also be given comprehensive training under the new system, which is designed to make parking control fairer and more consistent.
Basildon and East Thurrock MP Mrs Smith, Under Secretary of State in the Government's recently formed Department for Communities, has been a long-time campaigner for fairer parking regulations.
She said: "I have been aware of people being unhappy with parking enforcement in both Stanford-le-Hope and Basildon town centres, where motorists have become very distressed about the way they feel they have been treated.
"People should not park where signs tell them not to, but many people I have spoken to just want to be treated consistently, fairly and courteously.
"I believe the Government has listened to those concerns and I think these changes will go a long way towards changing attitudes and actions."
The new guidelines, which will be enforced from summer 2007, were also welcomed by Basildon Town Centre Management boss Jim Furnival.
The management company has repeatedly come under fire for its employment of private clamping firms in its town centre car parks.
Since April, however, it has stopped using clampers and Mr Furnival believes the new guidelines will help motorists better understand why parking regulations are in place.
He said: "Parking is an emotive subject, and we have to deal with the people who simply don't want to pay. However, these rules should make it easier to sort the whole issue out. We will continue to issue parking tickets, but this is only to ensure people park where they are supposed to."
Ian Robertson, Southend Council's executive councillor responsible for parking, welcomed the overhaul to make the process friendlier for drivers.
He said: "We like to make it as friendly as we can.
"Southend is a friendly town and we just like to keep it that way.
"It's not often you see cars being clamped in Southend.
"We make very little money out of parking penalties because of the cost of attendants. We make almost nothing at all.
"We just want to keep the traffic moving as efficiently as we can."
posted by Neil Herron at 1:40 PM
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