Motorists in Brentwood get the most parking tickets
MOTORISTS in Brentwood had to pay £219,050 in parking fines between April and October last year – making them the most penalised in south Essex, writes Piers Meyler.
But the South Essex Parking Partnership, which Brentwood Borough Council is part of and which is in charge of parking enforcement in the town, has said law-breaking motorists have only themselves to blame.
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LUCRATIVE: The camera at Shenfield Road, Brentwood, brings in the most cash a year
After direct and indirect expenditures, including traffic warden salaries of £177,750, the borough was left with a surplus of £87,560.
In Chelmsford, which although significantly larger with a population of 170,000 compared to Brentwood's 70,000, only issued £195,520 in parking fines.
Pauline Wager, who has lived in Westbury Road since 1994, said traffic wardens needed to employ much more common sense.
Her sister was fined, and unsuccessfully appealed, after her car was left for around 20 minutes while they were helping their mother, who is registered disabled, from the car to Pauline's home.
Pauline said: "They must have seen us struggling with my mother up the hill when they issued the ticket. We couldn't have got back to the car in five minutes.
"I can understand why they only allow for a five-minute moratorium, but they have to show leeway when they get a valid reason."
Basildon, with a population of 165,000, earned a total of £124,000.
The two healthy totals from the neighbouring authorities left the South Essex Parking Partnership of six authorities with a surplus of £173,000.
The figures reflect the situation last year which showed that more tickets were issued in Brentwood between April and May than in any other authority in the partnership.
The partnership, which comprises Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Maldon and Rochford, started on April 1 last year to reduce the cost of traffic enforcement for each council.
A spokesman for the South Essex Parking Partnership said: "If a motorist breaches the Traffic Management Act 2004 and parks or stops where they do not have permission to do so, they will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.
"The number of Notices issued in any area has absolutely no relation to population size."
2 Comments
by PakefieldPonc
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 3:59PM
“This has got nothing to do with road safety, and everything to do with the pigs and county hall profiteering at the expense of already persecuted motorists.
Opposite this camera is a no right turn at the T junction of Sawyers Hall Lane and Shenfield Road. Drivers flagrantly turn right here, with no regard whatsosever for other drivers' and pedestrians' safety. A woman pedestrian was killed along here not so many years ago. The response from the filth and Essex C c has been to do nothing. No camera has been installed in spite of repeated calls for one.
The pigs and county hall have no interest in keeping Brentwood's roads safe - they're only interested in a cash cow speed camera. As the old saying goes, 'speed and deliver!'
As for Brentwood's traffic wardens, they wouldn't have been out of place in the Third Reich!”
by fiftydong
Wednesday, February 01 2012, 1:17PM
“Brentwood Parking is a joke, probably the most inconsiderate wardens about.”