Category: West
Midlands TV
Date: 14.01.2005
Printable version
On Monday 17 January Inside
Out (West Midlands) goes on the front line with some of the most hated
and vilified men and women in Birmingham: traffic wardens.
Frequently subject to verbal and physical abuse, this privatised group
of parking patrollers in the West Midlands suffered 61 separate assaults
while on their daily rounds last year.
Three years ago Control Plus, a giant American owned company, won the
contract to police on street parking in Birmingham.
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Since then, there has been a significant public backlash.
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Accusations that attendants are set targets and are
on commission for the number of tickets they issue have increased, and
attacks on staff have also escalated.
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Control Plus strongly denies that there is any sort
of bonus or targets system in place.
Graham Erskine, spokesperson for Control Plus, says: "Parking attendants
have been shot, physically assaulted, spat at, verbally assaulted and
we've had cars that have actually driven at our moped attendants."
Inside Out meets traffic warden Michelle Millar to find out what she
and her colleagues face during an average day patrolling the congested
streets of BritainΒ’s second city.
The attendants can call on the recovery team to tow away cars causing
an obstruction. Ian Brownhill mans the tow truck.
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With drivers having to pay Β£105 for their car
to be returned from the pound, Ian's a regular target for angry drivers.
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He says: "Just a couple of weeks back, a motorist
came from behind me and tried to strangle me with a piece of rope."
Inside Out, Monday 17 January 2005, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
ONE (West Midlands), 7.30pm
