Ignorant drivers must be stopped

There are now effective traffic wardens patrolling the streets of Shrewsbury employed by a private company booking all those ignorant motorists who continue to park on double yellow lines, because it is illegal to do so.

Shrewsbury local authority has deployed what's called the Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) that will be replaced on March 31 with the Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE), which strengthens powers for local authorities making it easier for them to take action against drivers who contravene parking regulations, while at the same time making the parking enforcement regime more transparent for motorists.

So what will be happening across the border in Wales after March 31, like here in Welshpool and Newtown, when parking on double yellow lines is a normal everyday event?

Well, most local authorities in Wales do not currently operate DPE so everything will remain the same for the foreseeable future with the police and the one traffic warden responsible, who only appears once a week as is it.

While the Welsh Assembly is taking forward subordinate legislation that will implement Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) from March 31, local authorities would have to apply to the Assembly for consent to implement CPE.

What Powys County Council should be doing is what is already happening in towns like Shrewsbury in Shropshire - have a few of those traffic wardens in light blue uniform who don't look the other way.

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