On 15 Mar 2017 at 7:52am Sussex Born and Bred wrote:
On your patrol you see a lorry parked on double yellow lines.It's a strange looking lorry as it has windows in the side and is not like one of the normal lorrys you see around town (it looks like those vehicles used to transport prisoners that you have seen in your travels and on television). From your local knowledge you know that the Law courts are in the immediate vicinity. Do you:
a) Decide to contact your controller, explain the situation and see if they can contact the police to confirm if it is a prison van and use their assitance to locate the driver
b) Pop into the law courts, speak to reception, explain the situation and see if they can help
c) Give it a ticket, after all its breaking the law and you need to meet your ticket quota this week.
Unfortunately answer C was used in this instance according to the news last night, thus continuing to prove the high standards of Lewes Traffic Wardens and confirming that quite a few are simply walking robotic ticket machines. Common sense and the ability to think do not seem to be prioritised on their training perhaps?
Unfortunately
On 15 Mar 2017 at 9:25am Deja Vu wrote:
Am I missing the point, prison vans can't park on double yellows.
Why would the traffic warden go on a hunt for the driver, he's parked on double yellows so gets a ticket like the rest of us?
I would suggest option:
d) do their job and ticket the vehicle for parking illegally despite the fact that the vehicle is most like their in an official capacity
On 15 Mar 2017 at 9:46am The Old Mayor wrote:
i certainly dont think prisoners get in or out through the front entrance of the courts. they have access to the cells at the rear.
On 15 Mar 2017 at 2:55pm Sussex Born and Bred wrote:
What next then Deja Vu - slap a ticket on an ambulance "despite the fact that tyhe vehicle is most likely there in official capacity"? (It's happened on london on numerous occasions)
If it was a car or normal delivery truck then yes -no problems with slapping a ticket on it. I would imagine the driver of the prison transport may not have been to lewes before or even had a larger vehicle than normal.
instead of using common sense or intiative and just slapping a ticket on the vehicle instead, this has made television news, the tabloids and makes Lewes Traffic Wardens look very stupid and a laughing stock.
On 15 Mar 2017 at 3:12pm Deja Vu wrote:
I am not sure how or why you have made a connection between an emergency vehicle (Ambulance) and a private service (G4S prison van).
Police, Ambulance and Fire can all legally park on double yellows (if they're on an emergency) - prison vans can't, so there is no good reason why a traffic warden would either try to locate the driver or not ticket it.
On 15 Mar 2017 at 4:27pm Montgomery Cheddar wrote:
The issue about them not being classed as an emergency vehicle is an interesting one.
Taking the point of De ja vu a step further.. Would it be justified if the van wasn't moved to then clamp it so that the prisoner couldn't be taken back to the prison?
The problem for G4S and Geoamey with transporting prisoners to Lewes Crown Court is the lack of space to take detainees into the Court at the back of the Court down that little road..
The Police will still transport detained persons to Court if there is an issue with other transport getting them there in time
On 15 Mar 2017 at 5:15pm Ed Can Do wrote:
If you look up the pictures, the van was parked round the back when it got the ticket, not out front on the High Street. That's why it garnered so much ridicule.
On 15 Mar 2017 at 5:20pm Deja Vu wrote:
What would cause more uproar, clamping a private vehicle parked on double yellows (as happened in this case) or ignoring them and not issuing a ticket (we would all want to know why)?
presumably they're parked on double yellows because they have business in the local area, doesn't everyone who parks on double yellows have business in the local area?
If there's a lack of space out the back G4S should have thought it through before bidding for the contract (most courts have parking issues). They didn't and make a lot of money from it so need to pay the fine like the rest of us do.
I'm mystified as to why "traffic wardens gives ticket to vehicle parked illegally" is worthy of air time... It's not surprising or news?
On 15 Mar 2017 at 5:28pm Deja Vu wrote:
I saw it on the Eastbourne news website (no pictures), apparently they parked in a "restricted area" (the clue is in the name), so they got a ticket.
On 15 Mar 2017 at 7:28pm Sussex Jim wrote:
The Bluebottles in Lewes are instructed to ticket first, and let the parker appeal later. If you are working in town, you unload your van and then move off. End of job, you return and collect tools etc. and then go.
These "prison vans" run by a private company reverse along the length of Mount Place and Castle Ditch Lane with their bleeper going, expecting all other road users to clear out of their way. The second man in the cab just sits on his harris instead of acting as banksman. Sooner or later ther will be an incident, and G4S will try to obtain "Crown immunity".
On 16 Mar 2017 at 6:27am GoM wrote:
Just rejoice and be thankful for another privatised sucess
On 16 Mar 2017 at 12:36pm Transport Manager wrote:
As a manager of a passenger transport company that has certain exemptions from traffic regulations (e.g. the right to park at bus stops, or drive in bus lanes), I am used to receiving tickets issued by parking wardens. If there is a legitimate reason for parking in the particular location concerned, my experience is that any penalty charge will invariably be disregarded, once an appeal is submitted. I'm sure that the same applies to prison vans. If it doesn't, then the warden was right to issue a ticket.
On 16 Mar 2017 at 3:45pm Candide Camerra wrote:
I received a ticket recently and successfully appealed. Completely exonerated, integity intact and left with my head held high. Imagine then, my disgust when I was told that I had to pay a £5 "handling fee" for "Administrative costs" despite being completely in the right. The Barstewards seem to have got it made whether you win or lose.
On 4 May 2017 at 3:58pm Mr sussex wrote:
Firstly I would like to point out. The transport van was on double yellow lines for over 4 hours !. Secondly the van was blocking the whole road. Thirdly traffic wardens don't earn a bonus they are there to move traffic safely and efficiently where possible. Do police get a bonus when they arrest someone for commuting a crime ?
On 4 May 2017 at 4:20pm Tickle Test wrote:
Commuting is a crime - when the DFL's live here.