13 May (Part 2) - Parking. Perils and perks
In
the first two or three months of this year Bexley’s CCTV cars were
travelling around town with their cameras covered. It was a period that
coincided with a serious
drop in the number of penalty notices (PCNs) issued. The connection seems to
be more than a little obvious, but not according to Bexley council.
In a
Freedom of Information response they have said that the cameras were covered
“to assist in the prevention of any vandalism or being open to the elements in
order to reduce wear and tear on the camera lenses when not actually filming”.
The risk of vandalism must have gone with the arrival of
Bexleyheath’s new top cop.
Camera lenses are not the only thing that Bexley council has been hiding. The
parking restriction notice is fixed to someone’s gate support pillar rather than the customary
pole. So if you see a couple of apparently unrestricted parking spaces with no
notices on poles, don’t believe you are safe, you are in Bexley.
Government guidance is that signs should be a minimum of 900 millimetres above
ground level and adds the following…
Careful consideration should be given to any proposal to
mount signs at a low height, such as on railings or bollards, as there is a risk of drivers not noticing them.
Council staff are mercifully free from such perils, with their charges for parking
in council car parks waived it’s not surprising that most of them drive to work.
(Bexley council survey of their own staff.)