Road rage motorists drive cars at parking enforcers

Published on Wednesday 15 December 2010 13:32

PARKING attendants in the Capital are being assaulted at a rate of more than one a week, with angry motorists driving their cars at enforcers in three separate incidents.

New figures show there were 58 "code red" incidents in the last year, a rise on 2009.

In the three most serious incidents, cars were driven at enforcers in Leven Street, Lauriston Place and Dundee Street.

On all three occasions the parking attendants managed to get out of the way, but one received bruising after being hit by a wing mirror.

In other previous incidents in the city, an angry motorist threatened a parking attendant with a piece of scaffolding in Haymarket Terrace, while other enforcers have been spat at or racially abused.

Despite a rise in the number of physical assaults, there was a fall in verbal assaults.

The number of these incidents, known as "code yellow", almost halved, from 52 to 29.

Tim Cowen, a spokesman for NSL Services, the private firm which provides parking attendants for the city council, said the overall number of attacks had fallen due to previous stories in the Evening News, as well as help from the police and improved training for his staff in dealing with conflict.

He said: "We're pleased to see the overall number of incidents is going down and I think that is due to it being raised as an issue.

"However, there were still 58 violent incidents. That's more than one a week and totally unacceptable. People have the right to go about their jobs without being attacked."

In the 12 months to November, NSL recorded a litany of incidents against its staff.

Among the worst was one in Napier Road in which a parking attendant was attacked by a dog after ticketing its owner.

Earlier this year, the Evening News reported the story of a parking attendant who was smashed in the face with a guitar by a member of the public. The incident took place in Panmure Place, Tollcross.

In 2009, an attendant suffered an injured shoulder after a piece of scaffolding was thrown at him as he worked in Warrender Park Road, Marchmont.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city's transport convener, said: "Parking enforcement is an important service that maintains safe, steady traffic flow and it is completely unacceptable for people to treat our parking attendants in this way."

The city council plans to introduce a new clamping regime for the motorists with the most unpaid parking tickets.

Parking bosses are owed more than 3 million in uncollected 60 fines by drivers who repeatedly flout the rules.