Traffic wardens still issuing parking tickets ‘unlawfully’

12th February 2010

The UK's largest parking enforcer is allegedly still setting ticket 'targets' for its wardens - a practice that has been outlawed under government guidelines.

A leaked memo from NSL -which provides traffic wardens for 60 councils across the country - shows a manager complaining that staff are not issuing enough tickets. It suggests disciplinary action should be taken against wardens who are not dishing out fines at the required rate of '0.9 per hour'.

The note, which was passed between the regional manager and a colleague in charge of wardens in London's Kensington and Chelsea borough last November, fell into the hands of councillors who were outraged that NSL appeared to be breaking statutory guidelines that ban target setting.

Under the heading 'Royalty Performance' the note read: "There are still a significant number of people issuing at a rate of below 0.9 per hour."

It goes on to list the names of seven wardens who are not issuing enough parking tickets and states: 'We should not be uncomfortable about using the disciplinary process'.

Councils across the UK were last night being urged to ensure parking contractors are not setting targets.

NSL claims it was simply monitoring performance as opposed to setting targets.

An NSL spokesman said of the email: 'It is certainly not a target - neither NSL nor our civil enforcement officers have any incentive, financial or otherwise, linked to the issue of penalty charge notices.'

But Councillor Paul Dimoldenburg, Labour leader in Westminster, said that the leaked memo provided 'crystal clear evidence' that NSL was setting its traffic wardens targets.

He reiterated that parking tickets should be used as a tool to manage demand for parking and not as a means of raising revenue.

 Useful links:

How to appeal parking tickets

Claims Financial