News

Councils in London are urging the Metropolitan Police not to abandon the enforcement of certain traffic and parking contraventions following its decision to class the whole of the capital a civil enforcement area with regard to these offences.

At its meeting last week, the London  Councils' Transport and Environment Committee said it would ask the police to reconsider its position and continue with enforcement in the one third of London boroughs where the authority has not taken on the powers.

The infringements in question include: box junctions, restricted streets, parking restrictions outside schools, vehicle prohibitions, banned turns, no-entry signs and bus and tram route signs.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police says: "This has been a difficult decision and has come about due to conflicting legal opinion that has been sought over the last two to three years and a recent review by Metropolitan Police Service Counsel where we have been advised we should not be enforcing where local government can."

The two thirds of London authorities that already carry out their own enforcement include Barking and Dagenham, Camden,  Croydon, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Lambeth, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, the City of London, the City of Westminster and Transport for London (TfL).

TfL is responsible for traffic enforcement along the red route, using Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) and a network of CCTV cameras.

Roads on the red route have stopping and parking restrictions in place which can be identified by red lines and red and white bays. Next to these are road signs indicating the times when parking or stopping is allowed.