13 September - Huge whoppers. It’s not Smart
After
getting themselves on TV yesterday Bexley council issued a statement which may
be read in full on Channel 5’s website. It includes…
Every year we issue fewer parking tickets than the year before and we issue the
fourth lowest number of tickets in London. Last year, parking enforcement made no
surplus for the Council. The MICE cars have been really effective at ending dangerous
parking around schools. The cars have huge signs written on them
which say they are carrying out enforcement, they have huge cameras on the roof,
and the operators put up camera signs on the highway telling people enforcement
is being carried out so it is clear what the cars are doing. We are completely
open about this issue - we publish an annual report on parking enforcement which
sets out in detail the number of tickets issued, and the reasons why.
According to an
official local government statement issued only a few days ago, “Slow
economic growth has resulted in less traffic on the roads, easing the pressure
on parking spaces which has meant less illegal parking. These tough economic
times may mean that drivers decide they cannot afford to risk incurring a
penalty charge notice the number of fines is reducing”. Not quite what Bexley
claims is it? The same site (via a link at the bottom of their page) says that
four boroughs issued fewer penalties than Bexley, not three, which is
nit-picking I know, but the real reason for the lowly
position is that Bexley is one of the few London boroughs that doesn’t
issue penalties for moving traffic offences. That is something that councillor
Craske intends to rectify very soon. The reason which he blatantly gave in the
cuts document (Strategy 2014) is that it would allow him to get better value for
money from the CCTV systems - mobile and fixed. If putting such a statement in a
budgetary paper is not an admission that he is doing it to raise money I do
not know what is.
Bexley council claims that it makes no money out of parking
enforcement, but we know from inspecting their accounts that
many of their
figures are guessed. £36,000 a year on painting white lines just in Controlled
Parking Zones! Show me one that is not in a bad state and I’ll come out and
photograph it. “The cars have huge signs on them with huge cameras on them.” I’m
not sure how a Smart car can have anything huge about it but when they hide them
up side streets it’s all a bit academic. They are effectively not on show
at all. Bexley’s annual report on parking used to give all the required detail
but when they started making up numbers to justify the price tripling of Residents’
Parking Permits the format had to change to mask their skullduggery. As for the
signs they put up; I’ll let Nigel Wise who forced Richmond’s cameras off the
road with his thorough knowledge of parking law, have his say…
There
is a very important issue that should be highlighted. Bexley affix
signs to lamp posts where they are conducting CCTV enforcement. These signs are
put up by the drivers of the Mobile Enforcement Vehicles when they stop at
locations. They then remove them when they leave.
The signs that are displayed are not compliant for CCTV Enforcement of Static
Parking. They are simply TSRGD 2002 signs to Diagram 879. These signs can only
lawfully be used for Moving Traffic Enforcement. They have no function for
Static Parking Enforcement.
Furthermore the signs used are simply repeater signs that can only be used after
a primary sign to diagram 878 that also states “Traffic Enforcement”. Traffic is
not Parking. These signs without the primary signs before them are unlawfully
placed on the highway.
The only signs that can be lawfully used for Parking Enforcement by CCTV are
signs approved by The Information Commissioners Office. These signs are used by
Westminster Council and I enclose an example. This means that Bexley Council are
operating their Mobile Enforcement vehicles illegally.
Bexley’s sign is of the central camera logo only - often upside down. No words
to explain what is going on. Confusion makes money!
The photograph of a gestapo wagon hiding in a side street while spying on a
bus stop and a dropped kerb is by Martin Peaple, the man who Bexley council thought was such a
danger to their cash cow that they
sent in their friends from Bexleyheath police.
Martin had committed no offence. Incidentally, the term ‘MICE car’ is a Bexley
invention and is peculiar to this peculiar borough.
It is perhaps worth pointing out that the Channel 5 programme was not about
Bexley council, but C5 asked NoToMob for some photos and video to illustrate
their report. NoToMob submitted some and C5 chose a photo of Bexley’s car which
was seen only briefly. Pure chance, it could so easily have been another
council’s. If Bexley council had not responded with their standard set of
excuses, I doubt anyone would have associated the piece with them. Now they are
on Channel 5’s website - and here too! Well done Bexley council; another own goal.