The rise of the parking attendant
‘Civil enforcement officers', formerly known as parking attendants, are on the rise as councils clamp down on illegal parking.
According to data obtained by a freedom of information request from LV= car insurance, parking wardens have increased by 6% since 2008 and one in 10 councils (10%) has increased the number of parking attendants on duty by 20% or more. This is despite the fact that Police officer numbers in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level in nearly a decade.
As a result, more drivers have been caught illegally parked and fined accordingly. In the past 12 months alone, one in 10 (10%) drivers have been hit with fines for parking in the wrong place, costing drivers £340 million - equating to £96 per driver caught.
In an average year, parking attendants dish out up to 10 million tickets but this is likely to soar as free parking in many towns is cut back. Nearly a fifth (17%) of councils have extended the number of paid parking zones in their area in the past 12 months and reduced ‘free' parking as a result. These councils include the London Borough of Croydon, Norwich City Council, Derby City Council and Hull City Council, among others.
Finding a parking space is set to become even more difficult as the number of cars on the road continues to increase. In the last ten years, the number of cars on the road in England has risen by 15% putting increasing pressure on motorists needing to park their cars in busy areas. Over half (57%) of drivers say that parking in their nearest town and city has become more difficult since 2008 with just a minority of motorists (7%) saying it is now easier.
It would seem there just aren't enough parking spaces for the 36 million drivers in the UK and many have been forced to park illegally. Close to one in five (18%) admit they have resorted to parking illegally in the last year and risked a parking fine as a result.
In an average council area, there are now 16 parking civil enforcement officers employed to enforce parking, traffic and other laws in England and Wales - rising to 51 for those parking in a London borough. Westminster has the highest number on duty with 242 currently employed by the City of Westminster, followed by the London Borough of Islington (135). Outside of London, the City of Edinburgh Council and Brighton and Hove City Council employs the highest number of civil enforcement officers, employing 121 and 74 respectively.
John O'Roarke, Managing Director of LV= car insurance, said: "The lack of free parking is putting increasing pressure on cash-strapped motorists and many are resorting to parking illegally. This problem is being exacerbated as councils increase the number of paid parking zones in their areas and take on more parking attendants to police them. Motorists who are visiting busy areas should plan ahead and consider parking slightly further away to avoid high parking charges. Many cities now offer park & ride schemes, which are a fraction of the cost of inner city parking."
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