Parking reform will benefit all road users - Minister

The reform of parking enforcement will benefit all those who play by the rules when using Northern Ireland’s roads, Regional Development Minister Shaun Woodward said today.

The Minister was speaking in advance of a debate in the House of Commons where he will take forward legislation to transfer the powers to tackle illegal parking from the PSNI to the Department for Regional Development’s Roads Service.

"Illegal parking has become a major problem on our streets to the extent that close to Belfast City Centre well over half the vehicles are parked illegally, indeed on at least one occasion we found that nine out of ten vehicles were breaking the law,” Mr Woodward said.

"This is simply not acceptable. It is not fair on those who do park legally. It causes inconvenience and delay to other road users, be they pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists or those using public transport, not to mention the implications for road safety as a result of people parking close to junctions pedestrian crossings or at other dangerous locations."

The Minister continued: "I do recognise that some people are concerned that this will lead to huge numbers of vehicles being clamped or towed away. I would assure you that it is not our intention to cover Belfast with 'Denver boots'. We will be putting strict controls in place to make sure that the parking enforcement company does not clamp or tow away vehicles as a matter of routine enforcement.

While the powers that the police and traffic wardens have for enforcing parking will be transferring to the Department, the police will retain responsibility for directing traffic and other duties that traffic wardens currently do which are not connected with enforcement of illegal parking.

(MB/GB)