Parking enforcement returns
If you thought the COVID 19 crisis couldn’t get any worse….. Somerset County Council have decided it is safe for parking wardens to return!
For the most part SCC parking wardens enforce on street parking restrictions rather than those in car parks. And as the job is outdoors it does seem to follow government guidelines for getting people back to work.
In addition with some schools opening next week on 1st June, the logic for bringing parking enforcement back looks reasonable. Some of the biggest issues with on street parking in Somerset are around school drop offs and pick ups.
Enforcement will be brought back gradually. At first penalty notices will be issued for a few offences only. On vehicles parked on double yellow lines, in places with loading restrictions, bus stops and dropped kerbs in public areas – all locations where no vehicles should be parked.
For the first seven days, penalties will not be served where parking is permitted, such as resident bays, pay and display locations, limited waiting bays and single yellow lines (at times). The vehicle may have been left correctly and the driver may have, for example, self-isolated. A warning letter will be left on these vehicles asking that it is immediately removed to avoid receiving penalties in future.
But after that it will be business as usual….