Morning:
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New guardians
Evening Standard comment28 Sep 2007
At present, the duties of traffic wardens are relatively modest. They hand out parking tickets, report abandoned vehicles, check on car parks and generally put the fear of God into errant motorists.
But in sweeping new changes under the Traffic Management Act 2004 which will come into force next March, they will be rechristened Civil Enforcement Officers and given significantly extended powers, resembling in some respects those of police community service officers. They will report anti-social behaviour, become involved in giving evidence to the authorities to assist in issuing ASBOs, hand out tickets for littering, graffiti and fly-posting and issue fixed penalty notices for motorists who drive in bus lanes or pass red lights.
Westminster council is already considering making full use of the new powers available under the Act. Of course, any addition in the number of individuals who curb anti-social behaviour is welcome and traffic wardens have considerable experience of dealing with people who disregard public order.
The idea is that they should become "the eyes and ears" of their local council. But they will need rigorous training in the law and how to handle their new power. They should not be used as police on the cheap.
We shall see how the scheme works in practice. If it helps local communities become cleaner, safer places, well and good. But its effects will need careful monitoring.
