Council claims light touch during Games
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By Chris Druce WESTMINSTER COUNCIL’S decision to educate rather than rain down fnes on operators delivering during the Games has avoided it issuing £526,000 worth of penalties.
During the Olympics the council extended a pilot scheme that saw marshals educating rather than punishing operators delivering to Leicester Square, after the introduction of new restrictions early this year.
A Westminster spokesman says: “Our marshals were given customer service training beforehand and, in many cases, got to know the drivers delivering in their area.” As a result of this enforcement policy, which was adopted by daytime parking enforcement contractor NSL, only 460 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued from 29 July to 12 August for offences on and around the Olympic Route Network (ORN) in the borough.
Westminster Council says that, had tickets been issued immediately each time a vehicle was discovered contravening restrictions, 4,457 fnes would have been issued during the period.
By comparison, Westminster Council usually issues an average of 41,073 PCNs a month in the borough.
The scheme will remain in place for the forthcoming Paralympics, with a decision on its long-term future to be made soon.