Vertical Markets

CCTV cars or ‘traffic spies’?

by Mark Rowe

An open letter by local government and other bodies seeks to defend CCTV to tackle dangerous parking outside schools, prevent drivers blocking bus lanes and loading bays and catch pavement parkers.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, said a ban on mobile CCTV would do little to reduce the number of tickets given to drivers breaking the law but would put schoolchildren at risk and worsen road safety. Instead of a blanket CCTV ban, the LGA is calling for the Government to convene a working group of councils, charities, road safety campaigners and motoring groups to rewrite the current statutory parking guidance and revise the rules on the use of CCTV.

The call has been backed by the National Association of Head Teachers, Disabled Motoring UK, Living Streets, Brake, Royal National Institute for the Blind, Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, Confederation of Passenger Transport UK and the Passenger Transport Executive Group.

However the campaign group Big Brother Watch (BBW) has reported that hundreds of councils have turned to static CCTV cameras and spy cars to raise £312m in revenue between March 2008 and March 2013. Many councils are continuing to use CCTV to hand out fines, despite the Coalition Government publishing its Surveillance Camera Code of Practice highlighting the need to use CCTV for traffic offences “sparingly”, this research highlights that the number of CCTV cars in operation in the UK has increased by 87 per cent since 2009. BBW suggests that local government CCTV operation is about raising money, not about public safety; and that CCTV only be used on parking matters where it is unsafe or not technically possible for a traffic warden to operate in an area.

Nick de Bois, Member of Parliament for Enfield North, who wrote the report’s foreword, said: “I welcome this research by Big Brother Watch, which highlights that many hard-pressed drivers are unfairly being hit with arbitrary fines. CCTV should only ever be used in exceptional circumstances, and therefore I agree with the government that local authority use of CCTV for parking enforcement should be banned.”

And in response to the BBW report, Brandon Lewis, Minister for Local Government, said: “I welcome this expose by Big Brother Watch. It is clear that CCTV is being used to raise money in industrial volumes for town halls, breaking the constitutional principle that fines should not be used as a source of revenue. Unreasonable parking charges and fines push up hard-working people’s cost of living. If parking is too expensive or difficult, shoppers will drive to out of town supermarkets or just shop online, undermining the vitality of town centres and leading to ‘ghost town’ high streets. That’s why the Government intends to clamp down on this clear abuse and misuse of parking CCTV. The public want to see CCTV being used to catch criminals not to persecute shoppers and hard-working people.”

The report found that at least 106 CCTV cars being used by local authorities. More than 90 per cent, £285m, of the revenue generated through CCTV comes from London boroughs. Camden was the borough raising the most money, with £36m. Havering made £9m, wholly from its car-CCTV; while Westminster and Barking each made more than £3m from their car-CCTV. BBW asks, if CCTV cameras are about public safety, why are local authorities able to use them to raise revenue? And why are local authorities publishing no meaningful information about their use of CCTV for parking enforcement?

BBW summed up that CCTV has become a seemingly ever-present part of everyday life in the UK, with the public being told that it is integral to help keep them safe. Yet, it has become clear that local authorities have taken advantage of the technology to raise millions in revenue. The BBW report Traffic Spies found that more than 70 local authorities have used CCTV as a means of raising £312m in revenue by issuing fixed penalty notices (FPN) for traffic violations. For the BBW report in full visit – http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/files/reports/TrafficSpies_2014.pdf

BBW calls on the Government to check whether the use of cameras against motorists breaches the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for directed surveillance, particularly where a traffic warden sits in a control room looking for motorists to ticket. The campaigners also want the Surveillance Camera Commissioner to be given powers to enforce the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice – powers of enforcement and inspection; as the regulator has no powers to compel councils to obey the code. According to BBW the code was a step in the right direction towards brining proper oversight to millions of cameras that capture our movements every day. However, the campaign group adds, as only five per cent of cameras in England and Wales are covered by the code (local authorities and police forces), and without any penalties available if the code is broken, there is much more that could be done to protect people’s privacy from unjustified or excessive surveillance.

What LGA says

Cllr Peter Box, Chair of the LGA’s Economy and Transport Board, said: “Road safety campaigners and disability and pedestrian charities all agree with councils that banning CCTV parking enforcement will put school children and disabled pedestrians at risk and worsen road safety. The Government has wrongly claimed councils are alone in wanting to protect CCTV powers but, in fact, they face strong opposition to a ban that is impossible to ignore.

“Most of the time councils get it right on parking but know mistakes can be made and are committed to doing more to tackle the deep-rooted misconception that they are using parking charges to raise money. CCTV camera cars mainly act as a visible deterrent and, as a result, account for just 2 per cent of total parking income while less than 1 per cent of motorists appeal fines issued by CCTV enforcement.

“They are essential to help councils tackle dangerous and illegal parking outside schools, stop drivers blocking bus lanes and essential loading bays for businesses and delivery firms, protect disabled pedestrians against reckless motorists parking on pavements and improve safety on dangerous roads or junctions.

“A blanket ban on the use of CCTV is not the way to tackle the Government’s concerns around parking. Instead, councils, charities, motoring and pedestrian groups and road safety campaigners want to constructively work with government to reshape parking policy for the better and without jeopardising the safety of our children and vulnerable people.”

According to the LGA around 75 councils have introduced CCTV camera cars. The initial emphasis for councils is on using the CCTV cars as a visible deterrent with the aim of changing driver behaviour. For an initial period councils will issue those caught stopping or parking illegally with a warning, before formal enforcement is taken against offenders. These timescales are clearly communicated locally when the camera car is introduced.

Councils, charities, motoring groups, schools and road safety campaigners are issuing the joint-letter below warning against a government ban on CCTV parking enforcement and calling for a working group to be set up to help rewrite parking guidance:

SIR –

Banning CCTV cameras cars will make it impossible for councils to tackle dangerous parking outside schools, stop drivers blocking bus lanes and essential loading bays for businesses and delivery firms, protect disabled pedestrians against reckless motorists parking on pavements and improve safety on dangerous roads or junctions.

CCTV parking enforcement accounts for just 2 per cent of total council parking income so it will also fail to drastically reduce the number of fines issued to drivers parking illegally.

Therefore, rather than a rash blanket CCTV ban which could jeopardise safety, we urge the Government to accept our offer to convene a working group for all relevant stakeholders to come together, revise the rules on the use of CCTV and rewrite the current parking guidance.

This would bring together the Government, councils, motoring groups, business organisations, schools, charities and bus operators and give them the opportunity to reshape parking policy for the better.

Local Government Association
London Councils
British Parking Association
National Association of Head Teachers
Disabled Motoring UK
Living Streets
Brake
Royal National Institute for the Blind
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety
Passenger Transport Executive Group
Confederation of Passenger Transport.

UK case studies from LGA

Middlesbrough Council launched a CCTV camera car in March to tackle dangerous parking near schools, bus stops and pedestrian crossings. It follows numerous complaints from members of the public and schools about inconsiderate and dangerous parking.
Sandwell Council are set to deploy a ‘camera car’ to help tackle illegal parking and improve road safety outside schools and on school routes. The council said it is responding to public concerns about inconsiderate and illegal parking putting children’s safety at risk.
Oldham Council has used a CCTV car to patrol schools since 2012 initially sending warning letters to drivers caught parking illegally. It is an attempt to cut accident rates after 53 children were injured on roads across the town in 2011.
Improving road safety around schools is so fundamental to Bedford Council that it is currently subsidising its CCTV camera car scheme by £15,000 a year.
Hartlepool Council has been using CCTV enforcement since May 2011. The previous use of traffic wardens meant each of the town’s 40 schools only received around one week’s enforcement a year.
Wolverhampton City Council used a YouTube video to announce the use of a new CCTV enforcement car in the city. The city only has 13 traffic wardens on duty at any one time and has more than 100 schools with parking problems.
Nottingham City Council recorded over 40 motorists entering a road junction illegally in just one hour using its mobile CCTV van in January. The operation was mounted in response to near miss incidents.
Durham City Council installed a CCTV camera on a trial basis in February in the hope of deterring people from double parking and stopping in loading and blue badge bays.
Rochdale Council has introduced a CCTV camera car this month to tackle with illegal, unsafe parking outside schools. Previous unsuccessful attempts to tackle the issue include education campaigns and a Junior Police Community Support Officer Scheme where pupils dressed as PCSOs and talked to drivers.

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