A TRAFFIC warden has revealed the tricks their colleagues use to catch drivers out, saying he feels sorry to issue tickets.
The official, who works for a firm contracted by a major London council, claimed that enforcement teams are “like zombies going up and down looking for cars to ticket”.
GettyA traffic warden has revealed some of the tricks of the trade used to catch drivers out[/caption]
They told The Sun Online: “Most people don’t realise we can actually issue warnings, when we print it out it doesn’t have to be a ticket.
“But we are incentivised to give out tickets.
“I’ve know wardens wait five minutes then run over to give a ticket while a builder’s having lunch…some hide behind bushes.
“I feel very sorry for motorists…a lot of us would quit but the next company would be just as bad.”
The warden also claimed that the third-party parking app their council uses consistently gives out unjust fines due to technical errors and alleged that the local authority “ignores” complaints about deceptive practices by contractors.
This has, apparently, placed wardens in a difficult position and even fearing for their safety.
Our source even claimed one of their colleagues had been hospitalised after ticketing the motor of a funeral attendee.
They added: “I fear we will face physical violence…everyone assumes we work for the council but it’s all been outsourced to private companies.
“The council are obsessed with issuing tickets.
“I would love to spend a day…giving zero tickets but I can’t get away with just being nice to people.
“The council could bring us back in-house, it would help drivers but they have no interest, we’re someone for drivers to be angry at.”
One particular issue they cited was that, because enforcement is outsourced, wardens don’t have access to the list of vehicles currently going through an application for a parking permit.
Since, according to the warden, it takes months for the council to process an application, drivers are being slapped with fines daily just for parking outside their homes despite being told they would not be fined while their permit claim was considered.
This, in turn, allegedly creates more work for the council as they have to resource a team to process often successful appeals to these fines, further stretching resources and worsening the backlog.
Perhaps worst of all, though, are the plans which councils are apparently set to introduce.
The source claimed that the council they are linked to is considering enforcing a new offence for vehicle idling.
This would mean that you could be fined £40 for pulling over and leaving your engine running, even if you are in the car.
They fumed: “The government try and find a new way to issue fines every day.
“I don’t think the council have thought this through beyond the fact they’ll get £40 per driver.”