daisy

I have lost count of the number of times i have seen traffic wardens buzzing around East Dulwich on their scooters with prewritten tickets desperate to find a car that fits the crime. They drive around like mosquitos jump off their bikes - which more often than not they then park illegally - before putting their prewritten tickets on a car. The latest money maker was people parking adjacent to dropped curbs which many motorist don't/didn't realise is an offence. Indeed until six months ago it was an offence that was only enforcable by the council and not APCOA. That changed a few months ago and wardens have been having a field day since. So many people complained and contested the huge number of tickets that were issued in East Dulwich in the month of June regarding dropped curbs that the council wisely decided to have a moritorium on these tickets until warning white lines were painted on the roads. Outsourcing traffic management to private companies has been one of the worst local political decisions of the last 10 years. Next time you see a warden on a bike or in a car try asking them whether the vehicles are provided by APCOA. Ask who is responsible for them being taxed and roadworthy. Ask whether they are covered by public liability insurance. You won't get an answer from them. You won't get an answer from APCOA either. Its about time their scandalous behaviour was rumbled. I would guess about half the tickets they issue are illegally issued which is akin to mugging someone for ?80.00. If anyone seriously thinks that traffic wardens are there to serve the community they really do not have the slightest understanding of what these private companies are up to.

i'm not sure if the car warranted a ticket or not - what suprised me was the fact that it was the traffic wardens that were in a car stopping in the middle of the road and holding up traffic in order to give out a ticket!! That seems both unfair and ironic. Aren't they supposed to wait for 5 minutes?

Today i was behind a car which stopped in the middle of maxted road. A traffic warden jumped out of the passengers door ran across the road to a parked car and wacked on a pre written ticket. He then jumped back into his car and they sped off - It turned out that there were three parking attendants in the vehicle. It was the parking equivalent of a hit and run! Are traffic wardens allowed to drive around East Dulwich in private cars and mopeds? Does the council know this is how their "outsourced traffic management company" operates? Has anyone else seen or experienced this? I hope it's illegal as i got the car's number plate.