More powers for traffic wardens

Parking wardens across Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley will be handed more ticketing powers to penalise drivers.

They will soon be able to book motorists leaving their cars within zig-zags outside schools and beside pedestrian crossings. Previously this has always been enforced only by police officers.

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, council parking attendants will also be giving fines to people parking by dropped walkways and in cycleways.

In October, Wyre Forest District Council took over responsibility from the police for issuing tickets for on-street parking offences following in the footsteps of many local authorities across the country.

Since then a team of 14 wardens has been patrolling the streets booking people for parking in yellow lines, waiting restrictions, loading bays and disabled bays.

They also enforce the council-owned car parks across the district and work seven days a week, including evenings.

The new legislation requires parking attendants to alter their title to civil enforcement officers but there will be no visible change to the uniforms, only the epaulettes on their shoulders will change to clearly state their role.

The council says the chan-ges, which come into effect on March 31, are intended to make traffic enforcement clearer for drivers.

Officials say it will also help to align it with the road safety role of local authorities rather than the criminal powers of the police.

Councillor Marcus Hart, the council cabinet member for property and operational services said: "The council has adopted new enforcement powers that focus on safety. Specifically these are parking within zig-zags outside schools and adjacent to crossings, parking in front of dropped walkways and those provided for disabled people indicated by tactile paving, and parking of vehicles in cycleways."