More “Meter Maids”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31091, 21 June 1966, Page 16

More “Meter Maids”

The employment of another seven women parking meter wardens —there is one on the staff now—was approved by the City Council last evening. This would free traffic officers for more important traf-fic-control duties, including increased coverage of suburban shopping areas and on arterial roads, said the traffic committee.

A report on the deployment of staff relative to the enforcement of all street parking requirements in the inner city area had been con= sidered, the committee said. “This aspect of traffic control poses a problem not only locally but in every main centre throughout the country,” the committee continued. “It is felt that a traffic officer’s attention should be directed towards the detection of accident-promoting driving breaches rather than static offences if the best use is to be made of his services.

“Under the present duty roster 10 traffic officers and one meter warden patrol parking meters, and it would be detrimental to reduce this number, as the coverage would be meagre to say the least. Parking enforcement, even though it is elementary, is nevertheless essential. “Between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. virtually all traffic officers are engaged on point duty and arterial road patrols, leaving one meter warden to cope with 1500 meters. Unfortunately many motorists have become aware of this, and refrain from paying meter fees during this period.” The meter warden had been most diligent, the committee said. She had issued nearly twice as many offence notices

for parking-meter offences as any traffic officer. This was because her whole responsibility was parking-meter enforcement, whereas the duties of a traffic officer involved more than 100 types of traffic offences as well as time on driving testing, point duty, attendance at collisions, and night-shift duties. Included among the advantages of the appointment of the extra wardens were an extension of the hourly coverage of parking enforcement, a financial saving on salaries and uniforms, and an increase in meter fees. The wardens would be

authorised to enforce, In addition to the parking meter by-laws, certain other requirements such as double parking, prohibited-area parking, obstructing fire plugs, and other offences. This would necessitate their being issued with restricted warrants of appointment as traffic officers. The male staff would be kept for the more important taks of guiding traffic and enforcing the traffic laws to prqtect life and limb, said the chairman of the committee (Cr. L. G. Amos). Eventually there might be a staff of 12 or 15 women, he said.