Monday 5 October 2009

One Month’s Stealth Tax…

Residents are angry after paying out for a parking permit which is not being enforced.

In August Bromley Council introduced permit holder and pay and display parking in Bluston Parade, just off Petts Wood Road in Petts Wood.

However, since the new regulations have been introduced residents have noticed motorists parking in permit bays and pay and display bays without displaying tickets.

They have also seen parking wardens walking past these cars without issuing fines.
One resident confronted the wardens to find out why this state of affairs existed:
“My other half spoke to a traffic warden and they said they could not issue fines as their machines have not been setup for that road.”
The council’s explanation for this – apart from ‘Ooops!’ – is that there’s a period of non-enforcement so that motorists can ‘get used to the idea’:
According to street signs, the regulations apply Monday to Saturday, between 8.30am and 6pm, however, this is inconsistent with the information on the pay and display machine which states the time is until 6.30pm.
A council spokesman said: “We do tend to not enforce parking restrictions within the first four weeks of a scheme going live.

“This is to give motorists the chance to get used to and understand the new restrictions.”

The spokesman confirmed the discrepancy between the signage and pay and display machine and said this will be changed.
Hmm, I bet the residents weren’t given a free month.

I bet the period of their parking permit is for a full 12 months, and they are paying for a full 12 months too….

5 comments:

Von Spreuth. said...

give motorists the chance to get used to and understand the new restrictions.”

What is there to "understand" about not being allowed to bloody park without a permit between X time and Y time???

Or is this pratt under the impression that the council have some kind of superior mental powers that the rest of us have not got??

JuliaM said...

I'm assuming they mean so infrequent visitors don't get caught out. But then, so what if they do?

I don't automatically assume that a car park that's been free before is still free. I always check.

Von Spreuth. said...

Taht is your problem Julia. You have common sense. This does NOT fit into their "world view".

Be carefull when they start deporting the intelectuals.

Bill Sticker said...

Used to deal with this crap all the time. If the Traffic Regulation Order hasn't been put in force for the area in question, all the signs and markings are worthless.

JuliaM said...

"Be carefull when they start deporting the intelectuals."

I plan to go into hiding..

"Used to deal with this crap all the time. If the Traffic Regulation Order hasn't been put in force for the area in question, all the signs and markings are worthless."

Indeed. They put residents parking outside my house nearly two years ago. The bays are only half-painted, with missing terminators and gaps in the yellow lines where cars were parked and they just painted round them, and one of them is visibly 'thinner' than all the others.

They've never come back to rectify this.

I can't wait for someone to get a ticket. I've printed off the guidelines and appeal process all ready, and I'll stick it under their wipers...