Plans to install cameras to catch Bristol parents parking illegally on the school run have been approved unanimously by city councillors.
The transport and connectivity policy committee voted in favour of introducing a trial of CCTV that can automatically read number plates.
But Green group leader Cllr Emma Edwards warned it would not be a ‘silver bullet’ and that encouraging parents not to park irresponsibly in the first place was as important as fines.
A report to councillors said: “Camera enforcement is heavily restricted by legislation, but parking on ‘school keep clear’ markings, provided they are supported by a traffic regulation order, is one of the few contraventions which can be enforced using camera technology.”
The trial will involve an initial four cameras that use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) deployed on a rotational basis outside schools in problem areas.
The committee agreed other recommendations from Bristol City Council officers over parking policies, including increasing the number of traffic wardens – now called civil enforcement officers – from 52 to 70, along with a potential £5,000 salary hike to address a recruitment crisis.
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy
Reporting Service