02/11/2004

Specialist contractor to tackle on-street parking

Specially trained traffic attendants are to take over from the PSNI in dealing with parking offences across Northern Ireland, the government announced today.

Minister of State John Spellar said that the processing of parking enforcement would be carried out by the Department for Regional Development (DRD) through a specialist contractor from 2006.

The PSNI said it wanted to withdraw from the enforcement of on-street parking restrictions to focus on areas of greater policing priority, including road safety.

Speaking after meetings had taken place with union representatives and DRD staff, the Minister said: “The decision to employ a specialist contractor is based on extensive research on the best practice of enforcement across the United Kingdom.

“Consultation will be ongoing with all affected staff about the implications of implementing decriminalised parking enforcement in Northern Ireland.”

The changes to introduce decriminalise parking enforcement (DPE) will bring Northern Ireland into line with arrangements in other parts of the UK, where DPE was introduced in the early 90’s.

A report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office, published in December 2000, found that the current enforcement regime by traffic wardens did not provide “for the efficient operation of the on-street parking scheme” and that manpower was inadequate and service poorly managed.

(MB/GMCG)

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