Putting money into parking Any surplus generated from parking and traffic fines is always re-invested into transport-related projects, such as improving parking provision for businesses and visitors. see below Bays for residents The parking and mobility service manages a mixture of parking bays including 12,664 for residents. see below News Parking in London is always a hot topic of debate and Tower Hamlets is no exception. East End Life takes a look at the council’s parking and mobility service, and explores the work done to keep residents, businesses and visitors moving. There’s more to parking than permits and tickets The team has already taken an unusual step of working with local and national parking pressure groups in identifying what can be improved for customers. The work has been nationally recognised and the service was recently shortlisted for the British Parking Awards 2014 in categories Exceptional Customer Service and Parking Partnerships. Mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “Parking issues within a diverse and densely populated area such as Tower Hamlets are always going to be a delicate balancing act to address the needs of all road users. The council works hard to ensure a professional and fair approach to parking matters.” There are a number of free products that are currently provided to ease the lives of some residents and organisations: visitor scratch cards for carers or people aged 60 or over; permits for residents in receipt of higher rate mobility components or higher rate attendance allowance; limited free suspension service for up to three cars for residents moving house; CONTRARY to popular belief parking and mobility services are not just about issuing parking permits and parking tickets. The services operate to government legislation and are run by the council, not a contracted out function. Services range from consulting residents on controlled parking zones, installing parking bays and yellow lines, providing personalised disabled bays, taxi cards and disabled badges to processing permits, organising suspensions and dispensations, parking enforcement to removing abandoned vehicles and managing Freedom Passes. The council spends approximately £8.5 million annually to provide Freedom Passes, disabled parking bays, taxi cards and disabled persons badges for the most vulnerable. The parking challenge for the borough will continue to grow with additional residential and commercial buildings being constructed but with limited parking spaces available. Consequently effective use of public transport is a critical part of the transport strategy. The council is only responsible for managing the parking and traffic schemes on council highways and not Transport for London (TfL) roads, Canary Wharf estate, social housing or private estates. This means approximately 50 per cent of the borough’s land does not fall under the jurisdiction of the council for parking. Parking and mobility services teams pride themselves on providing good customer service and have a customer charter in place to ensure all staff adhere to this ethos. The charter sets out the customer promise and explains why the council regulates parking and traffic schemes. It also sets out what is expected from users of the service. (Above) Civil enforcement officer Nii Quaye (Right) Deputy enforcement manager Michael Darby at the pound in Commerical Road (Left) A car is removed by the enforcement team suspensions for charities and community based organisations; waivers to allow mourners to attend funerals and to assist where possible to reduce the worry of parking. Residents, charities and communitybased organisations should contact the parking team to find out further information about the availability of these products. Cllr Shahed Ali, cabinet member for environment, said: “I don’t think people realise the breadth of the work carried out by parking and mobility services and the impact good parking has on keeping the roads moving and stimulating the local economy, particularly in business areas. “The free services provided, such as Freedom Passes and Taxicards, are essential to assist our most vulnerable residents in getting out and about.” Of course there is the matter of enforcing parking and the issuing of tickets. Parking and traffic fines are statutory and both of these fees are set beyond the council’s control. They relate to a wide range of offences including parking in disabled bays, business bays, pavements, double yellow lines, resident permit bays, no left or right turn and driving in bus lanes. Any surplus generated from parking and traffic fines is always re-invested into transport-related projects, such as improving parking provision for businesses and visitors, and boosting economic development by investing in road network management to improve journey times. The council does not pay bonuses to staff, for example, on the number of parking tickets issued. When parking fines are issued, the majority of people pay their fine within 14 days. However the service has to manage a number of persistent evaders who try to avoid parking regulations, such as, people who have parking and blue badge disabled permits under false pretences. The council has a dedicated parking fraud team who investigate and prosecute such misuse and fraud. If you suspect that a parking permit is either being used fraudulently or being misused, call 7364 6945. To find out more about the council’s parking services and permits call 7364 5003 or visit www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/parking 12 NEWS FROM TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 17 – 23 FEBRUARY 2014
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