Wardens 'likely to abuse new power to ticket on sight'

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From 31 March, motorists will no longer be able to dodge a penalty by driving off before a parking attendant has a chance to ticket their vehicle.

If the warden claims he had already started writing the ticket, drivers will be sent the penalty notice in the post.

The new rule is included in the Traffic Management Act 2004, superseding the Road Traffic Act 1991, which stated attendants needed supporting evidence, including photographs and a note of the tax disc number, to prove they witnessed a contravention.

Motoring groups said it would create a "free for all" with wardens "hiding behind bushes" to maximise the number of tickets they issued.

Paul Watters of the AA said: "The only legitimate ticket is one served in 'real time' - when the motorist is there and can see what he is supposed to have done wrong.

"If someone drives off before a ticket is printed because the attendant didn't get there in time it is fair-dos."

Paul Pearson of penaltychargenotice.co.uk, which fights "unfair" tickets, claimed unscrupulous attendants would be encouraged to cheat. He said: "If a warden sees you pause on a yellow line for just a few seconds while you check a map, he will consider you fair game for a ticket. All he needs is your registration number. "What defence will the driver have? By the time you get the ticket in the post, how can you possibly remember the circumstances?"

Barrie Segal of appealnow.com said: "The opportunities for fraud under the new system will be breathtaking. This change will lead to a huge rise in the number of people appealing against unjust tickets."

But London Councils transport directorNick Lester said: "If a ticket is challenged a council will still have to find convincing evidence the vehicle was there at the time. If it came down to one person's word against another's it would be surprising if a driver did not win a lot of the time. The new rules will change things but we do not yet know how substantially."