The traffic warden system

I have never been against the introduction of traffic wardens. However, I have always been against its self financing system. It is a system which has caused any number of complaints by the people who finance it - the vehicle owner. An industry has mushroomed that feeds many interested parties, from the company that hires the wardens to the paid commissioners of justice who administer and hear the appeals brought before them.

There is now an unseemly squabble between a trade union and the local councils, who are accused of imposing quotas on the wardens to issue more tickets.

Whether that is true or not, it may be the system itself which forces some wardens to issue tickets for non-existent contraventions and this by an unjustified and probably illegal method of posting tickets weeks after the alleged offence.

I understand that an inquiry is to be held over this and other complaints. Hopefully, the justice and local government minister will appreciate that there is something basically wrong with the system and appropriate adjustments should be made.

The system at present is far from satisfactory and since the wardens are here to stay it must be seen to be working efficiently and fairly.