Ulez camera van fined £110 for illegal pavement parking

James Giles said the enforcement officers "should know better" about where to park

An enforcement camera van for London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) has been fined £110 for illegally parking on the pavement.

James Giles, an independent borough councillor for New Malden in Kingston, saw the van obstructing a pedestrian crossing in south-west London.

He said officers were "not above the law" so he reported the vehicle.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said they would "remind drivers of their responsibilities".

Mr Giles said he was on his way to a morning meeting with local residents when he spotted the TfL enforcement van on Cambridge Road, Kingston.

He said there had been a number of the vans in the area recently due to vandals targeting enforcement cameras, but this time he saw the van had "driven over a pedestrian crossing and parked on the pavement".

"It was very clear you should not park there as there were bollards put up," Mr Giles told BBC London.

"TfL and enforcement officers need to know that they are not above the law. They should know better than most people where to park and where not to".

He reported the incident to a nearby traffic warden and contacted Kingston Council's parking department.

The TfL spokesperson said: "TfL fully supports the use of highway authority powers to enforce against parking in unauthorised locations.

"We will remind our contractor, who will be paying the penalty charge notice."

'Pose a danger'

Ulez expanded across outer London at the end of August. People with a non-compliant car must now pay £12.50 a day to drive in the zone.

Mr Giles said although he was not in support of the Ulez expansion, he urged people not to vandalise the cameras.

"There have been occasions where chopped cameras leave live wires on the highway which pose a danger to adults, children and pets," he said.

"It can also cause problems for those with mobility issues who may not be able to cross a road on a wheelchair if a camera is blocking it."

Almost 800 cameras have been vandalised or stolen between April and September, according to the Metropolitan Police.

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