Enforcement Forum comments

Use this forum if you have any questions or comments on the parking attendants, parking restrictions or trading on the highway.

Should you wish to contribute, please use the following email: parkingforum@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Subject: Parking in Althorpe Drive
Date: 30/08/2008
Comment: It’s a catch 22 situation in my opinion. Some parts of the road are narrow and where cars park there is only just enough gap to allow a car to pass. Unless some car park on the pavement how on earth can a fire engine or ambulance to get past these cars? I have also noticed that when some cars do park slightly on the pavement it allows enough road space for emergency vehicles to pass, however car parks opposite on the road and that restricts the ability to pass even more, even when mindless people have their own drives and don’t use them.

On the 29th August 2008 many cars had a small notice put on their cars asking to park half on the pavement, which is understandable, but what is the salutation here?

BC – Hilsea, Portsmouth

Response: The decision to issue warning notices to vehicles parking in the area was made by the Parking Service. The aim was to advise and warn motorists that this type of parking is inconsiderate to other road users, pedestrians and can on occasions cause road safety problems.

Parking on or partially on pavements is not currently something that the Parking Service can enforce unless there is a parking restriction adjacent to the pavement such as double yellow lines, in these cases a Penalty Charge Notice can be issued. At the present time vehicles parked on the pavement without a parking restriction in place can only be dealt with by the Police.

We understand the difficulties that can be experienced when motorists park inconsiderately and to the detriment of other road users and pedestrians. The Parking Service would suggest that residents park considerately and use their individual driveways where possible to help ease the problem.

Subject: Pay and Display Tickets
Date: 18/07/2008
Comment: I would like to suggest that you switch over to parking tickets with an adhesive used by many other authorities. On a wet and windy day on the seafront, getting children out of the car, your tickets can easily blow away off the windscreen and worst of all; blow away out of the car.

If one fixes the adhesive ticket to the windscreen, then that is one less thing to worry about.

GT - Portsmouth

Response: In the majority of our parking meters we do use tickets with adhesive backing, however we do have a number of solar powered and chip and pin enabled meters that run tickets without adhesive backing. Our solar powered meters do not have heaters so the tickets have to be produced with a special waterproof paper hence no adhesive backing.

Subject: Trailers
Date: 21/06/2008
Comment: One of my neighbours has a trailer coned off in front of his house which doesn’t get used – is this legal? It’s taking up a space that could be used by someone with a properly taxed vehicle.

I wouldn’t dream of leaving a trailer on the street permanently – can I park my boat outside my house?

MI - Portsmouth

Response: The definition of a motor vehicle and a trailer under the Road Traffic Act 1984, section 136 is as follows: -

• motor vehicle - a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads
• trailer – a vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle

Leaving a trailer on the highway can be seen as an obstruction, which is enforceable by the local Police. Leaving cones of the highway can also be seen as causing an obstruction. The resident concerned should be made aware that if any type of accident occurs because of the cones, they may be liable for insurance claims.

It would be interesting to know the location of the trailer, details of which could then be passed onto our Abandoned Vehicle Team for investigation.

Subject: Football Parking
Date: 02/04/2008
Comment: I have just come across your forum, while looking up the new parking laws. I live in Hull and I live really close to the KC stadium, which means that parking is at a premium for residents. I paid for a voucher which allows me to park in the marked bays. I can also permit 2 visitors to park in the bays, if there is a space, but if a visitor wants to go to the match then I have to go with them. The area is zoned and the maximum for someone parking without a voucher is 1 hour.

The enforcement officers are out and about from before the match, checking on the cars and taking numbers. I am a disabled driver and having parked on yellow lines with a blue badge I once overstayed the 3 hour limit as there was no parking bay for me – I got a ticket. So yes we are just as parked up as anywhere else, and cars do park on the yellow lines over night without being booked.

So may I suggest to Portsmouth that you also set up the zones. Residents pay for their vouchers just like me and start getting the enforcement officers out there early. The fans soon cotton on to the fact that they can’t park so close and have taken to parking their cars a bit further out and walking. Also now that the new concessionary bus ticket is available for all of England, then maybe that will be the way to travel more easily for disabled as we now have lowered floor buses for access. Does this happen with you?

PQ - Hull

Response: We think it is great that people from other cities are taking an interest and reading our parking forum. Hull as you stated has a one hour limited wait, and this too was an option for the residents of Portsmouth. However the surveys and resurveys sent out to our residents have all without exception shown they want and want to keep the 2 hour limited wait. It is this two hours that causes us difficulties for us in enforcement.

We do promote public transport and although public transport is not perhaps ideal in Portsmouth it is improving. The Portsmouth Football Club stadium is due to move in the next few years and the points you make about parking and public transport will no doubt be a major part of the debate.

Subject: Parking Enforcement
Date: 26/03/2008
Comment: The issue with football traffic is I have stood outside my house on football days and seen for myself people parking at 14:00 with scarf's on and football colours. My calculation is a simple 90 mins for the game plus return to the car at 5ish - 3 hours at no time in two years have I seen a traffic officer on football days. To say that your officers are at risk I can agree but if you where to blitz the area once this would have a impact and would send the message out. People talk at football word of mouth is wonderful. To shy away from the problem and use excuses is no good.

I have had visitors to my house who have been parked ten minutes over and given a ticket. Also parking daily tickets I have seen football fans with these. I understand that each one issued has a number on it. This is abuse of the system. In other words lets not upset the fans but lets target residents, the council have enough trouble keeping priority routes open lets not burden you with any more.

MC - Portsmouth

Response: We stand by our previous answer that in our view the increased risk to the Parking Attendants and the enforcement of residents parking schemes during football matches is too high and not a priority. This service has never suggested that the introduction of a residents parking scheme in an area would alleviate the problem of finding parking spaces on Portsmouth Football Club match days. This service is constantly struggling to recruit enough Parking Attendants, it can be a miserable and unrewarding task pounding the streets receiving abuse on a daily basis, often from those who are merely passing by and have no interests in the comings and goings of our staff. To put our staff in situations that increases the risk of verbal and physical abuse is not one we can envisage.

The amount of traffic and dangerous parking increases dramatically on match days and it is the dangerous parking of vehicles that is and will always by our priority. If the Police could guarantee the safety of our staff or even guarantee a fast response in the event of us calling, it would still be the case that not much enforcement could take place. We just do not have the staff available to enforce dangerous parking and parking in a manner that impedes traffic flow to be able to also attend residents parking schemes that are purely for convenience. We are sure you would agree that road safety and strategic routes must come first.

Regarding your comment about visitors scratch cards, residents living within a residents parking scheme are entitled to purchase them. We do not and should not ask why they want them or who and for what purpose they will be used. If people choose to purchase them and then to allow their friends to use them to visit a match while visiting then that is a matter for them and not us. If you are aware of someone selling them on then we would welcome details so we can take action.

The whole of the south of the City find it difficult to park during Portsmouth Football Club matches, it makes no difference if you are within a residents parking scheme or not, it is pretty much the same for everybody. We are sorry you feel we are making excuses, but our priority is safety, our staff and the road user.