Published on: 27/01/2012 04:57 PMReported by: onthespot
Traffic warden hailed a hero after exposing secret quotas forcing inspectors to issue 10 tickets a day.
Southport Lib Dem, Tony Dawson says targets won't happen in Southport when NSL take over the Sefton Contract in April
A brave traffic warden who exposed the secret quotas enforced by parking bosses was today hailed a hero.
Hakim Berkani won his claim for unfair dismissal after he stood up to contractors NSL over their draconian policies on the streets of Kensington and Chelsea.
Mr Berkani revealed earlier this month that that wardens were forced to issue 10 tickets a day and said his colleagues referred to NSL as 'Ali Baba and his 40 thieves.'
The kind-hearted warden claimed he was harassed and eventually dismissed by NSL bosses because he preferred to warn drivers they had parked illegally rather than simply give them a ticket.
The tribunal ruled that he had been wrongly sacked fo.........
Please click link below to read full story on the Daily Mail website
"We had hoped that the new parking contract would give an opportunity for a service based more on the needs of our community rather than pure money generation. We are seeking assurances from the Council that nothing like what the tribunal found to have happened in Kensington under NSL will be allowed here."
Click link below to read recent news thread on 'Over-zealous enforcement officer issues ticket outside Vincent Hotel'
I'd love more illegal parkers to get a ticket. If they're in the wrong place, they shouldn't be warned, just slap a ticket on them...
They will learn eventually
I'd love more illegal parkers to get a ticket. If they're in the wrong place, they shouldn't be warned, just slap a ticket on them...
They will learn eventually
Fair enough and IF they are in the wrong then yes issue a ticket - but so many of the tickets issued by our current traffic nazis are challenged because they ARE wrong. I sincerely hope with your attitude that this never happens to you!!!
I'd love more illegal parkers to get a ticket. If they're in the wrong place, they shouldn't be warned, just slap a ticket on them...
They will learn eventually
No problem with that, but how many tickets are for bad or dangerous parking and how many are for overstaying your time on a meter, how many are for simple error as the disabled parking spots on West st, how many are some officious parking attendant deciding in his/her judgement that a vehicle is not parked correctly in a parking bay or too far from the kerb.
We need more car parks, not on street, with pay on exit facilities, does away immediately with anyone inadvertently overstaying their time, also reduces the need for the circling vultures.
Then possibly employ real traffic wardens who will deal with real misdemeanours.
There are strong suspicions that the quota system has been going on,and a reverse bonus system,such as we wont pay you a bonus for issuing tickets but you will get a warning if you don't.
That is from previous employees.
Let it not be forgotten that it was the Lib Dems who introduced this draconian parking regime in the first place and have kept renewing their contract.
If we now get a user friendly system all well and good, but I cant help thinking that the others are going because takings are down.
And why? because they have driven all the motorists away!
And if the new people carry on the same way,they will stay away.
Fair enough and IF they are in the wrong then yes issue a ticket - but so many of the tickets issued by our current traffic nazis are challenged because they ARE wrong. I sincerely hope with your attitude that this never happens to you!!!
That's funny - I have regularly parked in different spots all over Southport for the last 15 years and never received a parking fine. Could be because I have simply parked correctly & displayed a valid ticket.
That's funny - I have regularly parked in different spots all over Southport for the last 15 years and never received a parking fine. Could be because I have simply parked correctly & displayed a valid ticket.
In 7 years I've never gotten one in Southport either. I did get one in Bootle though, I parked in the swimming baths.
My car, physically would not fit into the bay, it hung over at the back, I got a fine.
I could have parked it through the railings at the front and avoided a ticket, but criminal damage and damage to my car weren't an option I liked.
I challenged the ticket, and lost, I had to pay extra too, it was double due to the time it took to challenge. Apparently, if my car won't fit into the bay, I shouldn't park in it. I was driving a Peugot 406 I think at the time, hardly a HUGE car, just a little longer than some!
In my case, I generally think it was ridiculous to give me a ticket! I wasn't obstructing, you could have got a bloody articulated lorry past me!
In 7 years I've never gotten one in Southport either. I did get one in Bootle though, I parked in the swimming baths.
My car, physically would not fit into the bay, it hung over at the back, I got a fine.
I could have parked it through the railings at the front and avoided a ticket, but criminal damage and damage to my car weren't an option I liked.
I challenged the ticket, and lost, I had to pay extra too, it was double due to the time it took to challenge. Apparently, if my car won't fit into the bay, I shouldn't park in it. I was driving a Peugot 406 I think at the time, hardly a HUGE car, just a little longer than some!
In my case, I generally think it was ridiculous to give me a ticket! I wasn't obstructing, you could have got a bloody articulated lorry past me!
You really shouldn't post comments like that on here. I mean you might give somebody a heart attack, the somebody being the majority of Southport residents that 'assume' Bootle is void of any traffic wardens and pay and display signage.
I'd love more illegal parkers to get a ticket. If they're in the wrong place, they shouldn't be warned, just slap a ticket on them...
They will learn eventually
Could somebody please fill me in as to how he is a hero please? Has he saved a childs life? Has he ran into a burning building to save a cat? Has he held off the Taliban with a sponge? Has he.....?
You really shouldn't post comments like that on here. I mean you might give somebody a heart attack, the somebody being the majority of Southport residents that 'assume' Bootle is void of any traffic wardens and pay and display signage.
Of course ... I never thought. Perhaps I should mention, I drove from Southport, so eager was he to make his daily quota, clearly he followed me all the way! ;)
Originally Posted by MG Man
If I parked my car in the swimming baths I'd expect to get more than a ticket.
Shush now, it's not nice to make fun of people who clearly can't type correctly! lol
Always some sanctimonious prat has always "parked correctly"" never had a ticket" etc
So what,neither have I, but to visitors who we need to the Town, who may not be so clever as you, this is not helping to encourage them to come or stay.
We need more car parks, not on street, with pay on exit facilities
Agreed....On-street parking in town centres takes up valuable roadspace. Freeing-up that tarmac helps traffic move more freely/safely and reduces general congestion. Difficulty with that plan in Southport would be finding any spare land suitable for new carparks near the shops, without resorting to mass demolition.
When i worked for the Legion they didn't have any official quotas but their wording was "You are on an 8 hours shift.It is to be expected that you will be able to book at least 1 car an hour so at the end of the shift you should have at least 8 tickets!"
The guy in charge of the Parking services for Sefton Council at the time used to take a radio & direct attendant to cars he wanted booked.This ended up with attendants being taken away from their duties which sometimes ended up with the car they were directed to being booked.Sometimes it didn't & it ended up with the car they were watching getting away with a fine.Of course the Attendant got moaned at if they missed out on issuing any tickets.
It was obviously about making money,nothing to do with keeping the streets safe from illegal parking or a smooth flow of traffic around town by allowing other drivers to have spaces to park.
I used to immeadiatly booked those i recognised as flouting the parking regulations{where i could},i'd warn normal drivers they risked being booked before starting the booking procedure.Sometimes this resulted in me going back to the Office with no tickets & the bosses would complain.Other days i'd go back with 40 tickets {& you can be sure each & everyone of those drivers were correctly booked}
One thing that is rarely mentioned is the fact that Southport Parking Attendant have saved lives,found missing persons & have helped tourists.
Dpn't blame the attendants for not using common sense,they are following the directions of your beloved Councillors & Council.Yes there are a few people who enjoy booking people beyond the satisfaction of doing the job correctly but on the whole they are doing a worthwhile job.Those that say they aren't will be the ones who feel they have the right to park where they like,when they like for as long as they like.
I also wonder why people aren't saying how much they appreciate a parking attendant turning up to book cars they have phoned in & complained about. May be they are ashamed to actually say they have been done a service by the people everyone seems to dispise?
This town does need more parking spaces,it is also in need of pay on exit car parks.This is nothing new & something the Parking Attendant/Civil Enforcement Officers themselves have been asking for. It's all about money for Sefton Council.They aren't prepared to pay to provide them services but they are happy to rake in the profits that the lack of these facilities cause.
There are strong suspicions that the quota system has been going on,and a reverse bonus system,such as we wont pay you a bonus for issuing tickets but you will get a warning if you don't.
That is from previous employees.
Let it not be forgotten that it was the Lib Dems who introduced this draconian parking regime in the first place and have kept renewing their contract.
If we now get a user friendly system all well and good, but I cant help thinking that the others are going because takings are down.
And why? because they have driven all the motorists away!
And if the new people carry on the same way,they will stay away.
Rolling thunder,Thank you for confirming my shorter previous post,its should be about helping people to park and using common sense and decency.
It appears the new contractors could be cheaper but no better.
Also the Lib Dems have failed in their bid to get the parking in house,so how can they control something that is controlled by money grabbing Bootle Labour cabinet members.
wardens are needed to stop the masses causing mayhem by dumping their cars wherever they like, having said this last week i pulled up on lord street for my wife to put a letter through a door and a warden came straight over and told me to move, i pointed to my wife explaining she would be a matter of seconds, i was in the car with the motor running and he just said " i will start writing the ticket then, that really brought out the dark side in me i can honestly say i would have planted that clown if he had completed the ticket before my wife had completed her 20 second errand,
Is this Mr Dawson the same person as Cherie Branie, Caryok, Microlight and goodness knows how many other identities ? It's so difficult to take someone seriously if they post under so many usernames not to mention genders.
Judging by his photo I can't think of a less appropriate name than Cherie!!!
Last edited by Sgt Wilson; 28/01/2012 at 03:39 PM.
lol Serge, it is Cherie Brandie. I don't know about the others or how they are related to one another but confusion about what his name is seems to be a bit of character trait of Tony Dawson/Anthony Dawson/ Cherie Brandie and god knows who else!
wardens are needed to stop the masses causing mayhem by dumping their cars wherever they like, having said this last week i pulled up on lord street for my wife to put a letter through a door and a warden came straight over and told me to move, i pointed to my wife explaining she would be a matter of seconds, i was in the car with the motor running and he just said " i will start writing the ticket then, that really brought out the dark side in me i can honestly say i would have planted that clown if he had completed the ticket before my wife had completed her 20 second errand,
It's worth noting that instant parking tickets still take a minute or two to write out.On double yellow lines you have 5 minutes observation time.
The following video is about something which is all to common even in Southport with all the same rediculous excuses used.The women was stopped from getting to her business by roadworks,unable to get there she didn't stop for one minute to consider other road users & when someone filmed the chaos she caused she became abusive & intimidating.Love to know what happened to her ,especially in the light of saying she would report the filmer for assaulting her when he didn't & then admitting she would knowingly lie to the Police to get her own way.
What is this 'story' doing here?
It is neither local nor about Seftons current or future contractor nor is it about a local resident.
More absolute rubbish.
lol Serge, it is Cherie Brandie. I don't know about the others or how they are related to one another but confusion about what his name is seems to be a bit of character trait of Tony Dawson/Anthony Dawson/ Cherie Brandie and god knows who else!
No matter what the man's name is, it's clear he gets off his backside and does things and is not just a keyboard warrior like many of us.
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Originally Posted by DCI Gene Hunt
