Who'd be a Traffic Warden?

The Job of a CEO

Powys County Council’s ten new Civil Enforcement Officer (CEOs otherwise known as traffic wardens) are a much maligned and under appreciated group of dedicated public servants ‘employed in accordance with Section 76 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 to carry out the function therein,’

Have some sympathy for the overwhelming burden of their responsibilities. According to Powys County Council’s ‘Prohibition and Restriction of Waiting and Loading and Parking Spaces Civil Enforcement and Consolidation Order 2011, enacted on April 1st last, CEOs must:

Be dressed in a uniform, ‘in accordance with the Civil Enforcement Officers (Wearing of Uniforms) Regulations 2007’, worn ‘in accordance with section VIII of the Statutory Guidence,’ they will carry ‘personal voice radios’ or ‘mobile phones’ to ‘maintain contact with their base’ and a ‘photo-identity card that will uniquely identify them without displaying their name.’ They will have been trained by a ‘specialist company’ subjected to ‘formal assessment’, be certificated and must conduct themselves ‘in accordance with Sections VII and VIII of the Statutory Guidence.’

CEOs are responsible for the civil enforcement of Limited Waiting Parking Places; Specific Parking Places; Pay and Display Parking Places; Suspending Parking Places; the manner of standing of vehicles in Parking Places, restrictions on the use of vehicles in Parking Places and of course exemptions on parking by a vehicle in a Parking Place.

Furthermore they must oversee Verge and Footway Parking, Ticket Machines, Pedestrian Crossings, the Placing of Traffic Signs, Restrictions and Prohibitions on Stopping, Waiting, Loading and Unloading; Boarding and Alighting from Vehicles, Funerals and Weddings, Parking Places, Waiting or Parking by Disabled Persons’ Vehicles, Taxi Ranks and of course Car Parks.

All this whilst always being aware of General Exemptions, Emergencies, Event only Prohibitions and Restrictions and General Conditions of Waiting or Parking in Unregulated Situations.

It goes without saying that CEOs must ensure that any vehicle contravening parking regulations is not ‘being used by a doctor or nurse visiting premises adjacent to the Parking Place whilst undertaking their professional duties’, is not a ‘hearse and chief mourners’ vehicle’ attending a funeral or is a ‘bridal and attendants’ vehicle’ at a wedding.

CEOs can always ‘alter or cause to be altered’ the position of a vehicle ‘in order that its position’ complies with regulations applicable to the Parking Place, or as a final resort ‘attach an immobilisation device’ or ‘cause the removal of a vehicle’.

Of course they must always remain aware of the rights of ‘Passenger Vehicles, Light Goods Vehicles, Motor-Cycles and Disabled Persons’ vehicles’ parked and displaying Residents Parking Permits or Dispensation Certificates. (Fortunately their job is made simpler by Powys Council not issuing any such permits or certificates.)

Oh yes; CEOs’ ‘primary role’ is to ‘encourage considerate parking’, ‘improve road safety, traffic flow and the environment’, give ‘advice and assistance to the public’ and ‘help motorists understand parking rules and park correctly’. All this whilst identifying ‘persistent evaders’; working with the police and ‘Neighbourhood Safety Teams’ to keep the streets ‘safe and secure’, reporting on ‘signs and parking equipment that requires attention’, monitoring ‘immobile objects in parking bays’, reporting ‘vehicles with no valid tax disc to the DVLA’ and of course, reporting ‘abandoned vehicles’.

Is it any wonder that most CEOs find it easier merely to lie in wait to ambush the unwary and issue Penalty Charge Notices – it’s far more simple, and anyway their wages are paid from the fines they levy.