TEN hotspot streets accounted for one in six of all parking fines in Macclesfield town centre last year.
Cheshire East Council has revealed a list of the most targeted roads since wardens were launched on May 14, 2008.
Coming out top with 479 fines – more than ten a week – was Exchange Close, off Exchange Street behind Cheshire Building Society.
The cul-de-sac, which has single yellow lines along both sides as well as a small number of taxi bays, was being heavily used by cabs – a number parked illegally – when the Express visited yesterday (Tuesday, June 16).
Taxi driver Graham Goodier, 62, of Robin Hood Avenue, Macclesfield, said wardens knew the road was "easy pickings".
"Drivers literally run off to the shops and within five minutes there is a warden giving a ticket," he said. "I can sit waiting in my cab and see a few cars get tickets. People just leave them willy nilly. They (wardens) have started picking on us now. They have been told to log our numbers and times we are parked and give us tickets even if we are in our cars. We are just trying to do our jobs. It stinks."
One disabled driver said: "I have sat here and watched wardens fill out tickets against people who have just stopped to nip to the shops. This month there seem to be more wardens than ever."
Parking Hotspots
Exchange Close – 479
Bridge Street – 348
Unicorn Gateway – 294
Market Place – 258
Great King Street – 167
King Edward Road – 177
Pickford Street – 157
Queen Victoria Street – 146
Church Street West – 118
Chester Road – 105
Total 2,249
All figures relate to the period, May 14, 2008, to March 31, 2009.
Showing comments 1 to 8 and replies | View All
MaccSpider, Support Simon Singh: http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/340 (17/06/2009 at 13:21)
" Ten roads where you should not park illegally"?
Ms Bubble, Macclesfield (17/06/2009 at 18:10)
But, whilst on the subject, if you 'try' to park like a nitt-whitt, you 'might' get a ticket! I'm afraid I have no sympathy ;)
mac moan, macclesfield (17/06/2009 at 18:47)
The Satisfied Customer (17/06/2009 at 22:43)
PeteF (18/06/2009 at 13:10)
It's incredible that this problem hasn't been solved. And the answer is so easy.
Ms Bubble, Macclesfield (18/06/2009 at 17:13)
It seems linking Wardens, to the current economic climate, as well as Private parking companies, is news worthy! I've never seen a Taxi driver given a parking ticket yet in Exchange Street. I don't blame them for the recession. I certainly don't hold them respnsible for Aldi Carpark. All I see is clear Roads, and Emergency Vehicles with clear access!
I certainly won't let tainted, biased journalism get in the way of common sense! :)
Darryl Beckford, Macclesfield West (19/06/2009 at 11:51)
http://darrylbeckford.blogspot.com/2009/06/residents-parking.html
john harding (21/06/2009 at 00:57)
Frequently pedestrians have to cross the street from between two parked taxis and I have even witnessed several near misses and an accident caused by taxis (and others) parking illegally.
Unfortunately, the traffic wardens do not seem to care about the taxis parking illegally and causing problems but just ordinary drivers. My colleague and I frequently witness wardens ignoring the illegally parked taxis, or even chatting to them.