Daily Mail reports “Parking wardens giving out ‘illegal’ fines to hit targets”

“Motorists have been tricked into paying tens of thousands of pounds in ‘illegal’ parking tickets issued so that wardens can meet targets.

Thousands of the wrongful tickets have been paid by drivers who were unaware that they should have been cancelled by the council contractors who dole them out.

The tickets were issued by NSL, formerly NCP, Britain’s biggest parking enforcer, which patrols the streets of 60 local authorities and Heathrow and Gatwick.

The Daily Mail has seen evidence that wardens are issuing the penalty charge notices simply to hit personal targets set by NSL – and even give this reason to management in writing.

In one case, a warden placed a ticket on a vehicle, waited an hour and then issued another for the same offence knowing that this was unlawful.

On the paperwork, seen only by his supervisor, he wrote in poor English: ‘I issued PCN to keep my performance on reasonable level regardless of that it will get spoil as soon as challenge.’

Parking bosses who review the penalty charge notices know the fines – costing £120, or £60 if paid within two weeks – are wrong, but do not tell the drivers and instead wait to see if they pay the fine.

In some cases bailiffs have pursued drivers for not paying up. On official paperwork, managers have described the fraudulent practice as ‘commonplace’.

During one month last year at one London local authority, managers wrote ‘only cancel if appealed’ on paperwork for dozens of tickets issued for no legitimate reason.

For example, tickets in Westminster have been issued for vehicles unloading, cars temporarily parked on pavements while the driver is opening a gate, and scaffolding trucks at the side of building sites.

NSL wardens say that if they do not hit their targets they are told they are ineligible for overtime and even face losing their jobs.

Parking bosses who are supposed to cancel these tickets simply write ‘cancel if challenged’ – placing the onus on the motorist, who is unaware of the illegality of the fine.

An NSL source said: ‘All councils deny setting targets for parking tickets but they do by giving them another name such as the “expected rate” or “base level”.

‘Some wardens have resorted to issuing tickets they know are unlawful just to hit their target. The company knows most people will pay it rather than appeal.’

NSL has denied setting targets and claimed it is simply monitoring performance, but monthly NSL figures show a ‘PCN target’ in the documentation.

In Westminster, traffic wardens, now called Civil Enforcement Officers, are given a target to issue 1.5 tickets an hour despite the council denying they have specific quotas to fill.

It is also in breach of Government guidelines outlawing target setting. Westminster Council has begun an investigation.

An NSL spokesman said: ‘With any contract we monitor the performance of our Civil Enforcement Officers, as there is a great deal of trust associated with the role.’

He said ‘Performance Indicators’ were simply a guide to whether CEOs were doing their job properly.”

If you have any enquiries in relation to parking fines, please feel free to contact, www.noparkingfine.co.uk

This is an extract taken from the Daily Mail article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1290090/Parking-wardens-giving-illegal-fines-hit-targets.html which proves how parking fines are being issued illegally.

Editorial Comment:


If the Wardens or Civil enforcement Officers of Westminster City Council want to up their quota of tickets issued, they can do it without breaking any regulation or moral code.


Just go along to Regent Street, Berkeley Street , Clarges Street, Dover Street, Piccadilly, any street in Soho, Conduit Street, Berkeley Square, Argyll Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Coventry Street, Wardour street, Charing Cross Road, The Haymarket (just to name a few)
and give out parking tickets to all the illegally parked PHV's (mini cabs).
If they are unsure about the ones parked on Licensed taxi ranks, the contravention code is;
no45 (parking on a licensed taxi rank)


If they are being threatened with violence from the drivers then they need to contact the Cab enforcement officers under the command of Chief superintendent Joe Royal.


joe.royle@met.police.uk


They could have a field day but no, parking chiefs at Westminster continue to issue these illegal tickets and victimise Taxis that have over parked on licensed taxi ranks by a few feet.


Its amazing how many taxis have received tickets for this contravention on the Claridges Hotel Rank and yet with the same CCTV set up not one touting mini cab has received a ticket for contravention code no45 on the Taxi rank outside Tiger Tiger, which also happens to be a 24 hour bus lane and bus stand.


The Anderson shelter has in the past shown video evidence that Westminster City Councils mobile CCTV smart car, has victimised Taxis while turning a blind eye to PHV's committing the same offence. Plus wardens walking past illegally parked minicabs refuse to talk to a driver pointing out an illegally parked PHV!


Another strange fact is a statement made by Mr Martin Low, that he works in close relationship with the United Trade group, and is proud of his achievements !

Quote
"It was on that basis that I declined an additional visit with you as my night time visits until after 2am on 2 May 2009 and 9 May 2009 had already given me a very good understanding of the problems and my focus was then on developing proposals and delivering the improvements introduced since then.

I regularly talk to taxi drivers whether they or not they are in a trade association, but I consider that I am very well informed through my day to day contact and the more formal discussions with LTDA, LCDC and Unite.

The City Council is proud of what we have achieved with our partners. The emphasis has been very much on getting on and doing something and we certainly have done that over the last year.

Martin

Martin Low
City Commissioner of Transportation

Built Environment

Email: mlow@westminster.gov.uk‬ "

Well Mr Low you may be proud of your achievements, but there are 25000 Licensed taxi drivers out there that are disgusted with your handling of the illegal parking by Touts.
Also if you are being informed of the trades problems by the UTG why are they not banging on your door about this particular issue?
Perhaps you need to get your info from a new source.
Thomas the Taxi.