Councillor promises to listen to residents before using CCTV
Cabinet Member for Transport gives his response to the Ealing Broadway debate
Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Vlod Barchuk, has assured Ealing Today and local residents that 'local sensitivities' will be taken into account when any further CCTV law enforcement is introduced.
Councillor Barchuk spoke to Ealing Today to clarify a number of issues raised in the heated debate on Ealing Broadway drop offs and resulting fines.
The first point to be cleared up was the timing of the CCTV enforcement and the issuing of PCNS.
"On 21 May the Council started CCTV camera enforcement of the zig zag lines and bus stop outside Ealing Broadway station," he said., "In the first instance, any motorist observed committing an offence was issued with a warning notice so they could change their behaviour without receiving a Penalty Charge Notice. From 28 May, any vehicles parking or stopping illegally at these locations were issued with a PCN (the date of enforcement has been incorrectly stated elsewhere as 28 June).
"Where PCNs have been correctly issued then the Council will not cancel them. Parking or stopping on either the zig zag lines and in bus stops were offences for a long time before CCTV enforcement began and were enforced by parking attendants. Parking or stopping on zig zag lines poses a particularly serious safety risk for pedestrians and is still an endorse-able offence."
Signage is being addressed. "To increase motorists awareness of CCTV enforcement activities, a number additional signs – above that required by law – have been put up around Haven Green to remind motorists of ‘no stopping’ rules and alert them to the presence of CCTV enforcement in the area," he said.
And the direction to use other available drop off space was reiterated.
"Anyone wishing to drop off someone for the station may park on the yellow line opposite the station, alongside the pubs and the estate agents’ offices. They may also stop on the yellow lines on the lane running across Haven Green. They will not get a ticket for stopping there to drop people off for as long as is reasonable. Enforcement is by parking attendant and it is the Council’s practice that they should normally observe a parked vehicle for about three minutes before issuing a ticket; this should be sufficient for the purposes of dropping off. I can further assure you that there are no plans to enforce yellow line restrictions at these locations through CCTV.
As for the future, there is cause for optimism with a clear signal that residents' concerns are being taken into consideration.
"The owners of the station approach road have mooted plans to pedestrianise it at some point in the future. In light of this, the Council has begun looking at whether it would be possible to create additional drop off points along The Broadway," he said. "This week the Council’s Cabinet decided that any new locations proposed for CCTV enforcement of traffic offences must be agreed by me as cabinet member for Transport. This will ensure that any further introduction of CCTV enforcement will take account of any local sensitivities."
July 30, 2007
