Traffic wardens allowed to break rules they enforce, Luton Borough Council says

Nasir Choudhary, 37, has told the Luton News that he was stunned to spot a civil enforcement officer parked up on a kerb close to Bushmead Primary School on Thursday morning.

Stringent restrictions are in place on Bushmead Road and Mr Choudhary says he frequently sees parents being handed fines for stopping momentarily on verges, footpaths and in front of driveways to let their children out.

Despite this Luton Borough Council has said the enforcement officer had done nothing wrong and that traffic wardens have “special dispensation to park in some areas near schools where other motorists may not”.

An LBC spokesperson said: “Whilst carrying out enforcement duties the camera car is permitted to park in contravention of the parking restrictions in force, and due to the nature of the areas where we are carrying out enforcement, there is often no choice but to park in this way.

“However, in doing so we always ensure that we are not causing a danger to other road users.

“It is our view that the vehicle is parked in an acceptable location to carry out the enforcement required at the time.”

Mr Choudhary, who lives on Bushmead Road, slammed the decision as ‘hypocritical’.

He said: “It is clearly one rule for them and another for everyone else.

“They are actually disrupting the public and causing more problems.

“This officer was on the curb and straddled across two driveways.”

He added: “They really hammer parents there, I’ve witnessed a lady getting a ticket when she was parked on the road but in front of someone’s drive.

“They didn’t even know if it was her drive or not, their attitude is very aggressive and they breathe down parents’ backs.

“You can’t enforce something while you are breaking the rules yourself.”