Award-winning parking service sets standard for the UK

4.30.00pm GMT Fri 23rd Jun 2006

Executive City Councillor for Planning and Transport, Sian Reid, has responded to a report by the Commons Transport committee today about parking enforcement around the UK.

Coun Sian Reid commented:

"Since the implementation of Local Authority Parking Enforcement in

Cambridge satisfaction with the service has improved considerably. In fact Cambridge recently won an award for Effective Street Management at the British Parking Awards which praised the extremely low rate of appeals and high levels of customer satisfaction in Cambridge. It is clear that we are making the right decisions locally. The work LAPE do in residents parking schemes is proving very popular in some areas of Cambridge.

"Here in Cambridge we have contracts which strictly forbids the use of bonus' or any other form of target based payment based on the number of tickets issued as these can ruin public confidence. Instead we hope to reduce the number of tickets issued, not increase them. Our only aim is to make sure that the traffic can move unhindered and maintain access for emergency vehicles. In fact in our scheme any surplus money generated by parking enforcement can only be used to improve the City's transport facilities."