Wardens Get Spy Cams

Traffic wardens are being issued with personal spy cameras so every car that receives a parking ticket will also get its picture taken. The £3,000 digital cameras are being used first in Glasgow, before spreading nationwide.

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By Tracy Kilsby

27th August 2004

The city council says recording every incident which results in a fixed penalty will dramatically reduce the 20,000 disputed tickets a year. A spokeswoman for the authority said: "The cameras will provide a photographic record of every car issued a ticket to give evidence in a dispute."

Other councils are set to follow suit, with local authorities in Edinburgh and Perth and Kinross already investing in similar equipment. It's planned to start the scheme in Glasgow in March. Firms are now being asked to bid for the ΂£180,000 contract to provide the first batch of cameras for the city's wardens, who last year raked in more than ΂£6.6million in fines.

Each camera can download digital data so that photos can be transferred to a main computer, where they will be stored as a permanent record of the offence until any penalty payment has been made. The scheme has received the RAC's approval. Spokeswoman Sue Nicholson said: "The public will welcome these cameras because they provide clear evidence. It should also be easier for drivers who feel they have been wronged to prove they were not parked illegally."