Mike Weatherley – not those
traffic wardens again!
Mike Weatherley, Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion, is the latest motorist to appeal against a parking fine. A traffic warden issued Mike with a ticket as he was setting the office alarm having just loaded his car with election literature.
Mike said:
“I had just finished loading the car – legally – and went back to set the alarm on the offices. I mean, lets face it with 7 out of 8 burglars escaping prosecution in Brighton you can’t afford not to have an alarm switched on. And in the five / six minutes it took to do this, when I came back to the car, a motor bike warden had pounced. If you want a policeman, you can’t get one. But we seem to be able to produce traffic wardens out of thin air in an instant. Despite an obvious amount of packages in the car, there was no reasoning. By the way – this was on Sunday. A low traffic day. I applaud traffic wardens for keeping our streets flowing – there is no doubting that some traffic warden activity is needed in all cities - but this was hardly a day that warranted such immediate action.
“I know that I was parked on double yellow lines, but loading is allowed. And once loaded, how was I supposed to set the building alarm? In any case why are there double yellow lines there for anyway? There shouldn’t be any lines at all!! It is not a place that blocks traffic if parked. The council really do need to look carefully at how many unnecessary yellow lines they have. Motorists should be able to park near shops if not causing an obstruction, and local businesses would be better off if customers could stop outside and pop in to buy a paper, pint of milk and a loaf of bread. I am going to stand up for every motorist and appeal this ticket.’
From April 2002 to 2003, 140 appeals went to
adjudication. Brighton and Hove City Council did not contest 61 of those while
the National Parking Adjudication Service allowed a further 30.
Last year traffic wardens were given the target of collectively issuing
170,000 tickets a year, which calculates at 470 a day, 365 days a year.
Netting NCP an estimated £6 million a year.
Mike continues:
“Last summer I set up the Unblock Brighton
campaign. For more details please
go to my web site www.MikeWeatherley.org.uk/unblock_brighton_campaign.htm
In this election residents know that there is one candidate on the side
of proper transport planning – including cars.
I want to see an end to the war on motorists and a proper integrated
transport system using cars, bus, trains and mono rail.
At the moment this city is losing out in millions of trade and pushing
people out of the centre as it is plainly ‘anti-motorist’.
The war on motorists has got to end.
The people of Brighton Pavilion can be sure there is one candidate who
understands the realities of life. Who
understands that pensioners / disabled / parents need to be able to use the car
occasionally rather than struggle with heavy bags on the bus - perhaps in
February - in the pouring rain. That candidate is Mike Weatherley. The Conservative candidate.