THURROCK’S portfolio holder for parking enforcement, Cllr Angie Gaywood, says schools are in and PIPPA’s out and about.
Cllr Gaywood said: “PIPPA has two very specific roles in Thurrock, safety around the schools and tackling the HGV parking problem across the borough.
“Yet I hear people claiming we have our CCTV car to just make money – not true. Or they suggest we are targeting the down-trodden hard-done-by motorist – not true either.”
She said: “During the first four months of the car’s six-month trial it made 578 visits to Thurrock’s 50-odd schools during the morning and afternoon school runs and recorded 153 school-related parking contraventions.
“There is no need to park thoughtlessly or dangerously when dropping off or picking up children at schools, indeed because of the large number of young people close to busy roads at this time, it is all the more important people park sensibly and safely.
“Unfortunately we all know that some people don’t do that and they are putting young lives at risk. That is why we are targeting the school run times and this is why penalty charge notices were issued by post to the offending drivers.”
Cllr Gaywood added the council continued to organise foot patrol outside schools as well and the car visits were supported by 96 visits from Civil Enforcement Officers on foot.
She said: “That shows how much more effective the car is. The foot patrols led to 35 penalty charge notices for school-related parking contraventions in the same time.
“The officers simply cannot get to as many schools or physically issue as many notices and therefore they cannot be as effective a deterrent. In an ideal world people wouldn’t park dangerously or thoughtlessly at all and although issuing no tickets at all might be an unrealistic target, it is what we’re aiming at.
The simple message is:- Park properly and you won’t receive a fine”
In all, 1,199 penalty charge notices were issued during this four-month period for all parking contraventions identified by the car.
A report on the six-month trial is due to be made to the council’s cabinet in December.