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152 Chapter 9How should enforcementbe carried out?On-streetStreet parking enforcementrequires that enforcement staffpatrol the streets whereenforcement is required andcheck the status of vehicles andtake enforcement action asappropriate. Normally this wouldbe done by foot patrols and,where there are many vehicles tocheck, this probably remains themost effective means ofenforcement.Checking the status of a vehicleincludes:● Whether it is parked in aplace where parking isallowed;● Whether it is parked properlywithin a designated bay; and● Whether required evidenceof correct payment and timeis displayed.The level of enforcement effortrequired cannot be determinedby a rigid formula but must bedetermined to meet localcircumstances and priorities. Asa guideline, for an urban area,taking account of the need tocheck vehicles and issue tickets,an attendant will patrol at anaverage speed of about 1 mphand so, as a crude estimate, thestaff requirement for a given areacan be determined from the kerblength to be patrolled and thefrequency of visit required.Table 9.2 offers guidance on thesort of enforcement regime thatmight be adopted for typicalscenarios. It is important toremember that compliance rateswill react dynamically toenforcement rates, meaning thatwhatever level of enforcement isplanned, driver behaviour willchange. The enforcementregime may then need to beadapted to meet the changedcircumstances. The enforcementburden can be reduced in manylocations by “designing out” theproblem, as discussed inChapters 6 and 7. It is, therefore,important to ensure thatcompliance and enforcementdata are fed back to the trafficand highway design teams.It is fundamental to theeffectiveness of any enforcementregime that it creates theperception of uncertainty andrisk in the mind of the potentialoffender. There must at any timebe an expectation that theoffence will be detected andpenalised. This is greatlyassisted by ensuring that anypatrolling is randomised so that itis not possible to plan an illegalparking act around theexpectation that once a streethas been visited, there is timebefore the next visit. This can beachieved by dynamically varyinghow staff patrol their area. Forexample, an attendant with anarea to patrol on average oncean hour can patrol the wholeTable 9.2 Typical enforcement scenarios.Regulation High Offence Rates Low Offence RatesWaiting restriction Frequent visits, perhaps every hour or less Infrequent visits, perhaps daily or lessin busy areas such as main bus routes and at places where the restriction is toshopping streets, to keep the kerb clearpreserve access, eg, in a back street.Any problem is likely to generate callsfor enforcement.Loading banPatrol during permitted period to ensureturnover; parking restriction prevails otherwiseShort Stay Parking Frequent patrols to ensure turn-over linked to Reduce effort if controls are welllength of stayobeyedLong-stay parking Should not normally require intensive Occasional visits to reinforce and(eg, residents’ permit) enforcement as residents tend to police and confirm regulations, perhaps once ahighlight persistent problemsdaySchool EntranceEnforce intensively during hours of operation.Parents the main problem. Short-term transientnature of stopping tends to make ticketingproblematical, but offenders can be moved on.