Council set to take back parking control
IT'S going to be all change but more of the same when Torbay traffic wardens move into council control next month.
The 22-strong team of traffic wardens and supervisors will transfer to council management at the end of a five-year contract on April 7.
The team of 'civil enforcement officers' and supervisors are currently employed by NSL, formerly known as NCP.
The NCP regime has been deeply unpopular in the Bay, with claims of over-zealous wardens since it was introduced following new rules which allowed councils to control parking penalties.
These claims have been dismissed by the company, which says only rule-breakers have been penalised.
The wardens will have new offices, uniforms and managers but the council says the aim remains the same, to keep roads clear and catch the rule-breakers, with the additional warning there will be a watch for obstruction.
Council parking chief Steve Hurley said the NCP contract has cost £3million and raised £3million in penalties.
He said: "We have basically broken even, and for that we have all that work done for us by 26 or 27 people who have dramatically cut the level of obstruction and congestion on our streets.
"We have had that work paid for by those drivers who did not comply with the rules."
The wardens will move to council offices in the town centre to be closer to managers as issues can be dealt with as they arise.
Warden will still be carrying out patrols as normal including early morning, late in the day and at weekends.
Mr Hurley said the cost to the council will be about the same and the aim is still to ease congestion not to raise more money.
He added: "Our ambition is to issue fewer tickets on the basis that complying with parking rules improves.
"It is not about increasing income, it is about making the traffic flow freely."
Parking councillor Chris Lewis said parking is emotive and the council has been criticised, even though penalty charge notices, commonly known as parking tickets, had been correctly issued.
He added: "However, there is always room for improvement in the way we carry out the enforcement operation, and with the change-over in April we are taking the opportunity to review the service.
"Sensitive to the needs of the tourism and business communities, we want the civil enforcement officers to take a common sense approach to enforcement.
"In return it is equally important motorists must respect the parking regulations which exist for everyone's benefit."
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by W Ward, Torquay
Thursday, March 11 2010, 9:20AM
“Now is this called being economical with the truth or telling downright lies?
'Break-even' my foot.
The £3m NCP charge only covered the parking wardens and their managers.
If the cost of Steve Hurley's collections department in the £750k office building in the Willows has conveniently been 'overlooked'.
Parking Services accounts have shown a consistent net LOSS over the past 4 years and there is no reason to believe the current figure will improve.
For the first three years these losses were hidden by transferring them to other accounts. They now amount to well over a million pounds.
If they think that continuing to operate the same system under the guise of 'keeping the traffic moving' they take us all for fools - has anyone noticed the improvement?
"Continuing with early morning and late night" patrols. WHY?
At the start I said it was departmental empire building and that is exactly what it has proved to be.”
by mr banks, paignton
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 7:19PM
“I and many other small business men in the trades here in torbay gave up working and decided to just do the seasonal low paid work rather then risk the NCP traps, the waever system they set up never worked and could not work for most small local buiness's the mayor and the lib dems who brought these NCP into torbay are to blame for no shops in our towns well not many hehe as like i and others said look online read the research on the NCP bounce affect!! soon as NCP went in to any area of our country shops closed and carparks were empty as the fear of a ticket even for the most lawabiding of us is a ticket to many and in a low paid area as is torbay forget the rubbish they says £20,000 average its more like £6.000 to £11.000 for the average local person here in torbay , so a NCP fine is not going to happen hehe so out of town and internet shop we have and i for one will not change back, remember come election day its the lib dems who brought NCP here so vote for any one other than them!!! oh bet the same mr brown is manager in charge of the new council wardens and if so your still get a bad service lets hope some of the 200 staff be him please mr Mayor hehe”
by Anthony, Preston
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 6:54PM
“The traffic wardens (under any name you care to give them), are to move to Council offices in the town centre? What will happen to the purpose built £750,000 building that was built for NCP?”
by Devon Bay, Torquay
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 5:10PM
“Good post Paul.
It always makes me laugh when people whine about getting parking tickets - god knows i've read enough of the sob stories on these very pages. The fact remains if you park legally, get back to your car in time etc. you have nothing to worry about.
I've not had a ticket in over 20 years of motoring - its common sense.”
by Paul, Notts
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 4:24PM
“This beggars belief
Not so long ago people were writing into this paper saying that the contract with NCP was doing nothing but cost the council money. The main arguement was a financial one
People wrote long tirades about how this should be taken back into council control - many expressing the view that this would - hopefully - bring a return to the good old "common sense" days.
And now here we are pre judging the new regime before it's even got off the ground....
Traffic restrictions are admittedly at times apparently pretty petty or at best senseless - if you want a change then lobby the council.
In the meantime at least have the good grace to give the new arrangements a chance and more importantly don't break the current laws...then you won't get fined. Radical but true”