Parking warden numbers swell by half

Parking warden Nazim Molla at work in Federal St, Auckland. Photo / Doug Sherring

The number of traffic wardens who patrol parking and bus lanes in Auckland city has grown by almost half in the last three years.

The new figures come as outrage mounts over bus-lane penalties totalling millions of dollars that have been dished out to motorists by the Auckland City Council.

Numbers released under the Official Information Act show parking officers employed by the council increased from 60 in July 2007 to 87 on June 13 this year.

Nine of them are employed on bus-lane duty.

Public concern at "disgraceful" traffic tickets has poured in to the Herald, particularly for bus-lane infractions, after disclosure of how many tickets were being issued.

Bus-lane fines handed out in the past financial year totalled $4.2 million - an average of 77 tickets a day.

Motorists are only allowed to enter a bus lane to turn within 50m of an intersection, and many people say they have been unfairly caught out.

The council's bus lane enforcement regime has also been attacked by a city council committee chairman as simply "revenue-gathering".

The Herald yesterday made calls to the council for its explanation on why warden numbers had increased, but it was told the appropriate spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Antony Lee, a Parnell businessman, got the figures from the council using the Official Information Act before passing them on to the Herald.

Mr Lee had noticed an increase in the number of parking warden patrols outside his office window.

"I've got a very good view of a road they regularly patrol. Over the years, especially in the past 24 months, the frequency has increased tremendously.

"That's what triggered it," Mr Lee said.

He was particularly concerned about the increase during the current council term.

"John Banks didn't state that he had a traffic warden hiring policy at the last election," he said.

Mr Banks was voted in as mayor on October 13, 2007, when there were just 62 parking wardens employed.