Traffic Wardens to be Privatised
Penalty Charge collection rate of only 50% leads to overhaul of service
Hounslow Council is to invite tenders from private companies to run most parts of the parking service provision. The plans were presented to the Council Executive last week, by Cllr Ruth Cadbury the member responsible for transport issues, and also include a recommendation to further considering towing illegally parked vehicles and more widespread implementation of bus lane cameras.
Residents are already expressing concern that privatisation of the system is likely to lead to more aggressive ticketing by wardens.
One local commented, "We already pay higher permit charges and given our area is already carpeted in CPZs it is obvious that profit driven wardens will concentrate where the pickings are the richest."
Areas like Chiswick and Brentford which have a higher number of controlled parking zones and pay higher parking permit charges than the rest of the borough.
The Council has decided not to allow the in-house service which currently runs the service to tender for the contract. They cite the difficulty in recruiting and training staff and claim that a private operator would benefit from economies of scale. Unison, the public sector union which represents the existing wardens, is reported to be furious with the lack of consultation on the issue.
The report from the Council which recommends that the service be privatised also reveals that the recovery rate for Penalty Charge Notices is only 50% which means that substantial revenue is being lost. Total revenue from parking fees in the borourgh was £3mn in the year to March 2002 (of which £2mn came from Chiswick). Due to the implementation of several new CPZs since then this revenue is likely to have risen substantially. Hounslow Council was highlighted in an Association of London Government report as a borough which more often than not failed to contest appeals against parking tickets. The target for payment on PCNs is 60% by April 2004.
October 17, 2003
Full council report on Parking Services Privatisation