Ticket threat fails to deter

Nearly 100 tickets have been issued for parking offences in Bingham in the three months since the return of traffic wardens.

According to the latest figures issued by the Nottinghamshire Parking Partnership, 91 tickets were handed out in the town.

Most of the tickets were issued to drivers illegally parking on Market Street.

There were even fewer tickets issued in Radcliffe where just 24 have been handed out.

The figures show there were nearly 2,000 issued in West Bridgford, the highest number in the borough.

Rushcliffe Borough Council, in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council and other councils in the county, took control of parking enforcement from the police on May 12.

It followed a long spell of a parking free-for-all after the police retrained their wardens as community support officers.

Apart from infrequent purges, the police had issued tickets only to vehicles causing an obstruction.

Under the new system, the maximum fine is £70, with lesser offences costing £50. Both are cut in half if they are paid within two weeks.

Mr John Crouch, the central processing unit manager for the county council, said the fines showed that residents still were not following the parking rules.

He said: “A large proportion are not adhering to the parking regulations with regularity.”

The issue for Bingham remains Market Street where drivers park illegally on-street.

“This is an exceptionally busy area and has been plagued by congestion issues for many years,” said Mr Crouch.

“Parking regulations were brought in to try to combat this but a number of people are still not adhering to the rules and regulations.

“People are still contravening no waiting, the yellow lines and the bay parking restrictions.”

The Mayor of Bingham, Mr George Davidson, said he had noticed drivers still parked illegally on Market Street.

He said: “I think quite important that we cut down the amount of illegal parking down there.”

Mr Davidson said the number of legal parking spaces had been reduced since the spaces had been redrawn in carparks.

He said there was also still a significant need for long-stay parking in the town, which would be a particular benefit to those who drove into Bingham for work and to use the public transport.

In June plans to introduce parking charges in Rushcliffe Borough Council’s carparks, including those in Bingham and Radcliffe, were delayed for a year to allow for the impact of the wardens to be considered.