You can't park here!
Traffic wardens have sparked new anger in Wolverhampton – by slapping £30 parking tickets on cars for sale outside a city showroom. Traffic wardens have sparked new anger in Wolverhampton – by slapping £30 parking tickets on cars for sale outside a city showroom. Around 13 used cars lined up outside Charles Clark Toyota on the Bilston Road were hit with the yellow tickets. The barmy crackdown on Saturday was witnessed by passing motorists, who contacted the Express & Star as the two wardens handed out the penalties at the garage, just outside the city centre. Today the situation was labelled "absolutely ludicrous" by Tory opposition transport spokesman Councillor Neville Patten. Read the full story in the Express & Star.
Around 13 used cars lined up outside Charles Clark Toyota on the Bilston Road were hit with the yellow tickets.
The barmy crackdown on Saturday was witnessed by passing motorists, who contacted the Express & Star as the two wardens handed out the penalties at the garage, just outside the city centre.
Today the situation was labelled "absolutely ludicrous" by Tory opposition transport spokesman Councillor Neville Patten.
He said: "I was under the impression traffic wardens were set up to keep traffic moving and prevent jams in busy areas.
"If this is the situation then maybe it is true what people say, that they are there to raise as much money as possible. Somebody should be made to jump through hoops for this. It makes the council look ridiculous."
The dealership has parked cars on the extended pavement during opening hours for a number of years without complaint.
But the council today insisted the garage was operating illegally and that they would take further action if bosses continued to park vehicles outside.
Tim Clark, spokesman for Wolverhampton City Council which operates the wardens, said: "The public highway is not the property of the car dealership.
"It is illegal for car dealerships to obstruct the public highway and park vehicles on the pavement.
"This is an ongoing problem and the council has received complaints about it, which is why we have asked our parking attendants to tackle it. The dealerships have been made aware that they are not to use the public highway as an extension of their showrooms and they will face action if they continue to do so," Mr Clark added.
No-one from Charles Clark Toyota was available for comment this morning.
Thirteen of the wardens, who wear distinctive red uniforms, started work in February after the police handed responsibility for enforcing parking rules to the council.
More than 4,000 tickets have been issued since the wardens were introduced.
Of those, 492 have been challenged.
On Saturday we revealed wardens would be visiting schools around the city every week to monitor bad parking by motorists on the school run.
Parents who park on zig zag markers and double yellow lines will be hit with £30 fines, which rise to £60 if not paid within two weeks.
Wardens have recently been patrolling the first red route in Wolverhampton on Stafford Road, handing out fines to motorists ignoring the no-stopping rule.