Forum Topic

What;s going on in Churchfield Rd?

Two stories on the front page. First, we lose a printing company after 45 years due to parking restrictions. Second, CEOs (traffic wardens) are giving out tickets after 5 mins even though the first 30mins are free. Both of these events are outrageous. What is Ealing Council doing about this? More companies will close. More customers will stay away and Churchfield Rd will die. Someone must sort this out - NOW!

David Archer ● 6049d18 Comments

=======================================================(Civil Enforcement Officer - formerly known as traffic warden) is standing waiting for cars to park in the newly made parking bays.After standing in wait, he says nothing but once he has seen the motorist go into a shop he slaps a ticket on their windscreen.Motorists need to type in their registration number and place a ticket in their windscreens, even if they are only stopping for five minutes. If they do not do this, although parking in these bays is free for the first half an hour, they will receive a parking ticket.We believe the fine for parking in these bays incorrectly is £50.=======================================================I no longer drive, but for the time it takes me to dart into a shop, buy a bar of chocolate and walk out again , . . . . . . imagine, . . . . parking, locating the ticket machine, keying in your car registration number, waiting for your ticket to print, walking back to the car, placing the ticket on your windscreen, and THEN walking to the shop. I know which is quicker.  I'd buy my chocolate elsewhere !(Oh, and there's the time it takes to read the instructions on the machine , the first time you use it)  The £50 fine isn't really a parking fine, isn't it a fine for not using the ticket machine?

Fred Bray ● 6049d

It certainly is a pain, and confusing. I use the loading bay outside the Rocket and then move my car up to a 30 min space while I'm setting up in the pub for up to two hours. I have one-day parking vouchers. But I have to get a 30 min free ticket from the machine before the paying time starts, and presumably must pay for the extra time even though I'm diplaying a one-day voucher?As a shopper I wouldn't bother to get the free 30 min ticket from the machine to pop into a shop for 5 mins, say to pick up paint from Sonny. So now I don't park at that end of the road at all.

Becky Bell ● 6049d

What conceivable benefit is there in having to insert a registration number? Why fine someone for paying their money but not giving a personal detail?Admittedly I have never seen these machines, but  the above is the impression I get from this thread.Please correct if I am wrong.

George Knox ● 6049d

George, the first 30 minutes is free, but if you are staying for less than 30 minutes you still have to get a (free) ticket from the machine by putting in your reg. A bit of a pain if you're just popping in for a couple of minutes, but the warden will still nab you for not displaying.

Becky Bell ● 6049d

Thanks BeckyWhat a horrible system.While we know that local politicians watch this biting their finger nails as the figures in the polls get closer, it would be interesting if they would dare publish their thoughts on whether they would would want to spread this Himmler like approach to parking meters across the borough. Some chance.As we saw at the SEC meeting this week they fell over themselves to avoid coming up with policies which substantially differed from each other. Wonder how much Lord Ashcroft is stumping up to support the Tories?

George Knox ● 6049d

I think there is a Ward Forum upcoming.this certainly should be raised then if nothing is done beforehand.

Sara Nathan ● 6049d

Can I suggest that the three Leaders of the local residents associations call a meeting with the relevant Director of Ealing Council's Parking Department/and local Councillors to sort this out.  (of course having a pre-meeting in order to decide on what residents actually want for the area.)  A united front would, of course, be essential in order to move forward.That is what would happen in other Boroughs.

Dee Cook ● 6047d

The reason this system was put in place not so long ago was that the previous 60 minute stop and shop bays were being hogged by the cars from the mini cab office (in practice it was impossible to enforce the 60 minutes limit without knowing when cars arrived), so shoppers had nowhere to park. A ticket is required with the vehicle registration otherwise the mini cab drivers would get a ticket every 30 minutes and continue to hog the bays (the machine won't dispense a ticket for the same registration within 2 hours). From conversations I've had with shopkeepers, they think this system is much better than what went before.

Vlod Barchuk ● 6046d

So can you tell me if I can park in the 30 min free bays displaying my K1 permit, as long as I move within 2 hours? Otherwise I'd be paying twice.

Becky Bell ● 6046d

I think you'll find that your K1 permit allows you to park in resident/business permit-holders-only bays.  As in any other CPZ, it won't allow you to park in pay-&-display bays which are intended to be used by visitors to the zone.

Richard Jennings ● 6046d

Hmm. I could park there before the new machines went up. I load into the Rocket from the loading bay, move the car up, then spend a couple of hours in the function room before driving away. Now I can't park there at all unless I pay twice. The permit is already in the car from loading from my shop at the other end of the road!

Becky Bell ● 6046d

If it's in the same zone, can't you park in a permit-only bay nearby?  Then you're not taking up a shopper's bay for 2 hours.

Richard Jennings ● 6046d

Well that's it. The shoppers bays mean the permit bays have gone, I guess. It's just confusing, that's all.

Becky Bell ● 6046d

when I lived in australia the wardens simply marked your tire with chalk ... seemed a simple way to enforce it. You could also use an 'arrival time indicator' on the dash board as they use in Europe.  But I'm guessing the council would make less revenue, which if we're awake is what all the parking restrictions include CPZ are about (you wouldn't be ticketed outside your own house otherwise).It's about time that wardens were asked to police parking rather than act as revenue gatherers!

Jeremy Thorpe-Woods ● 6046d

Strolling along  the pavement Churchfield Road the other day, thinking about this thread,  I imaginged a set up your friendly CEO could wear/hold.He'd stroll along the entire length of, say Churchfield Road, camera positioned to read number-plates. Included is number plate reading software.  As CEO strolls, the system automatically records number plates, time, everything in sequence, as he strolls from one end of the road to the other.The next time CEO strolls, data will automatically alert him on which cars have gone, stayed too long, returned etc.Gotta be an idea here . .The technology is out there, somewhere . . . . .(You could engage CEO in idle conversation at one end of the road while your mate races round the shops and back to the car.)All right reserved.  Patent Pending etc

Fred Bray ● 6046d

It parts of Italy the traffic wardens have a whistle.  Before issuing a ticket the blow the whistle alerting anyone who has dashed into a bar for an expresso or a grappa to their presence and giving them the opportunity to move the car beffore being ticketed.  So civilised....if only it would work here.

Anna John ● 6046d

absolutely my experience too, it was this that made me think that we've got it all wrong over here (or rather we've been led astray by local government)as for the technological answer Fred, I have a feeling that Ringo (phone parking in Chiswick and Westminster) already have a similar system.

Jeremy Thorpe-Woods ● 6046d

Great idea Fred but who needs CEOs? Just mount a camera on a wire the length of Churchfield Rd. Swoosh..down one side...swoosh..along t'other. Then on the second run 30mins later it sends you a ticket if you've overstayed your welcome. simples.

David Archer ● 6046d