FROWN, IT'S A CAMERA
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Barry Proctor looks at Councils' struggle to control parking and the ubiquitous reluctance to employ common sense as a tool...
I'm thinking of getting a security camera installed on my fridge. No, really I am — 24-hours-a-day surveillance is clearly the in thing' at the moment and it's the only deterrent I can think of to tackle whoever it is that's stealing the cheese. Intact, I'm thinking of introducing a system of on the spot fines for any out-of-hours fridge use that's recorded on my new camera. Of course it shows no common sense or rational judgement, but since when did that have anything to with the price of eggs (or, for that matter, cheese?). Take my town, Stoke, for example. Last week I was
asked to attend a meeting where transport policy was being discussed and I was there to put the haulage viewpoint.
Among other matters on the agenda was the city council's plan to do away with traffic wardens in the city centre and replace them with CCTV cameras. I know why they're doing it: to spread their thin resources further. But it removes one vital link in the whole chain — human judgement.
We all know that sometimes traffic wardens will turn a blind eye if you're only going to be five minutes or so. But cameras don't form opinions or differentiate — if you're spotted where you shouldn't be then a fine will find you, like it or not.
As ever its us hauliers who have to absorb these costs. The customer just isn't interested in picking up the fines, despite the fact that from time to time its their obstinacy that causes the problems. Stoke city centre has a delivery ban between 10am-4pm, and retailers who will get staff in early to accept morning deliveries are few and far between. That said it's the local councils that should bear the brunt of the blame for not giving due consideration to the needs of freight. You can bet that we merit the briefest mention in any council transport plan (one paragraph in Wallsall's plan, for example). Of course if we carry on down this road we are going to kill off town centres and out of town shopping centres will rule the roost. It seems about time for some common sense — so about those fridge cameras...
Barry Proctor owns Barry Proctor Services, which is based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.