Council To Phase Out Night Time Parking Patrols

And introduce a dedicated parking enforcement line for residents

Ealing Council is planning to scale back night time parking enforcement patrols across the borough.

Under the plans regular night time patrols from 11.00pm to 7.00am would be phased out, but the council would still ensure parking attendants were on duty late at night for special events that are likely to create parking problems.

The news was welcomed by one Chiswick resident who received a parking ticket at 03.17. "I came home late and parked at the end of my road so I wouldn't have to walk too far to my house," she explained. "When I went to move my car early the next morning, I found I had been given a ticket. I was told by the Council that they must keep the corners clear from 'pub and club' traffic, but I live on Whellock Road no where near a pub or a club. It was unnecessary."

Whilst the patrols will be phased out, a dedicated parking enforcement telephone line will be introduced to help residents whose roads are blighted by people parking inconsiderately. During the day the line will go straight through to the borough’s parking attendants who can be called out to deal with issues such as people parking over driveways or in dangerous locations.

Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, said, “Night time parking enforcement causes more complaints than solves problems. It’s an issue people feel passionately about and I want to refocus the service so that we concentrate on the things that really bother people, such as drivers parking inconsiderately or dangerously during the day, causing hazards and congestion for other road users.”

The council has notified its contractor, NSL, and it is expected the changes will take effect from November.

July 15, 2010