October 5, 2004

Parking wardens, through local authorities, keen to take on some traffic enforcement functions from the police

Parking wardens want to take over some traffic enforcement functions from the police, New Zealand Parking Association chairman Colin Waite said today.

Parking attendants would be responsible for speed cameras and for driving offences, if they lobby successfully.

If they received Government support for local authorities to be given more road safety powers, they would be able to require proof of identity.

Mr Waite said the association wanted Government to transfer some traffic enforcement functions from the police to local authorities. .

``Initial investigations suggest there are insufficient police numbers for effective traffic enforcement.

``We want local authorities to be empowered to carry out traffic enforcement.

``We would like traffic powers, to be responsible for red light and speed cameras. We want to be able to legally direct traffic, hand out fines for smoky vehicles, for all driving offences, to order off the road unsafe vehicles and require proof of identity.’’ Mr Waite said he felt local authorities and the parking association should play a greater part with regard to road safety and traffic management.

``At present, we can regulate, educate, carry out traffic safety works but we cannot carry out general traffic enforcement. Some councils already have some specific traffic enforcement powers, like North Shore and Auckland City with bus lanes. Mr Waite will be addressing the conference tomorrow morning. He said it was time the public better treat the country’s 500 parking officers.

Parking attendants are seen as ``the class of people who the public most love to hate’’, he said.

``The reality is parking officers throughout New Zealand are frequently the victims of physical and verbal assault purely because they are doing their job.’’

A world expert will outline decriminalising of parking offences at the conference. Stuart Lawrenson, the European chief executive for Central Parking System, is the main guest speaker. He will talking about the decriminalisation of the parking infringements in the United Kingdom.

Allied to the conference is the largest NZ trade display of equipment and suppliers to the parking industry.

One of the suppliers, Reino International of Australia, will be presenting an award for parking excellence to one of this year’s delegates.

The conference is an annual event for the NZ Parking Association which is represented by 48 territorial local authorities and one international airport company. They all carry out parking enforcement in New Zealand.

ENDS

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