A traffic warden sweep down City Road will take place on Thursday to tackle the excessive parking issues in the area.
Parking ticket enforcement officers from across Cardiff will descend on the Cathays area for a day of intense ticketing and raising awareness in a bid to reduce the number of vehicles causing problems for businesses and residents.
Neighbourhood beat supervisor Sergeant Alun Ifor Williams is in charge of the initiative, and he is due to release alarming figures on the number of cars ticketed in area at the local pact meeting in Plasnewydd tomorrow. More than 900 vehicles have been ticketed in the last 28 days – and improving on parking issues has been set as the local pact priority for the last six months.
Police say they have dealt with speeding issues, but the daily influx of workers coming into the city centre and parking in the area are contributing to the ongoing problem in Cathays ward, which covers Plasnewydd, Gabalfa and the areas surrounding City Road.
Williams said:
"On Thursday, we are making a concerted effort with all the traffic wardens doing staggered shifts from the early morning when commuters park their cars to the evening when they start returning home.
"It's a two-pronged approach. We are speaking to people and businesses and residents are asking us to do something more positive. It is partly education but with tickets a lot of people are just paying the fine and then doing it again."
Traffic wardens will work round the clock to create a constant presence on City Road and roads coming off the main artery into the city. They will be looking for illegal parking and cars causing other pedestrian dangers such as turning in the road. Williams said:
"It's not about prosecuting motorists but it's about dissuading people. With chaotic parking other people come along and it's self propagating."
Williams said the police and community have been working hard together to combat the parking issues – which will hopefully increase the quality of life in the area. At the pact meeting tomorrow Williams will update residents on the situation. The meeting will take place at the Mackintosh Centre on Wednesday 24 March on Keppoch Street at 7pm. See more details on ourbobby.com.
