Uniform just the ticket for wardens

Auckland City parking wardens (from left) Aaron Collier, Melissa Hunt, Garry Brown and Candy Rangi show off the new uniform. Picture / Paul Estcourt

The role of the parking warden is far more weighty than giving out tickets and organising the odd tow-truck.

According to their Auckland City Council bosses, they are actually the city's "frontline diplomats", charged with "the health of the city, its economic life and how business functions".

People carrying such grave responsibilities need to look good, so yesterday the wardens got new uniforms.

The blue uniforms were described by councillor Richard Simpson, chairman of the transport and urban linkages committee, as "celebrating the City of Sails, the blue skies we have today and the blue harbour".

"This is about showing it is a creative city, and a city that is moving forward."

The wardens do this by giving tickets to people who don't move forward quickly enough.

Luciano Pavarotti found this out when a warden started handing out tickets to his entourage outside the Auckland Art Gallery.

"Pavarotti came out of the gallery and the guys were arguing with the warden," parking contracts co-ordinator Candy Rangi said.

Pavarotti took the warden's side, telling the entourage she was just doing her job. The tickets were given out and in return the warden also got tickets.

"He ended up giving her tickets to his concert. But she couldn't go because she had a council hui that night."

So another diplomatic incident was averted by the wardens, who are also good at giving directions and changing car tyres.

Deputy Mayor Bruce Hucker said the work of a parking warden was "a thankless task" but important to the smooth running of the city.

"Policing of parking has an impact on the health of the city, its economic life, and how business functions."

Although the wardens had to put up with people calling them "fascists", the uniforms would help make them proud to work for the council, he said.

Yesterday four parking staff did a twirl in the new uniform, which replaces the green version introduced in 2000.

The initial cost of the new uniforms was $105,000, of which $5000 was spent on the design. Most of the rest went on supplying uniforms for the council's 66 officers. About 30 per cent was left for future orders.

It costs about $1000 to fit out an officer - 55 per cent cheaper than the last uniform which cost about $2150.

Ms Rangi said a lot of the warden's jobs involved helping the public, but they were often called "Nazis".

Her most famous ticketing was Liz Gunn in the days when tickets were hand-written.

"I gave her a ticket on Victoria St West. She was across the road buying sushi. 'I'm sorry', I said. 'Too late'."