Parking fines in Nelson city have quadrupled since a new company took over the contract to issue tickets.
Environmental Inspections Ltd took over the contract from Nelson City Council in October, marking a dramatic rise in the number of tickets slapped on windscreens from the month before.
In September a total of 487 tickets were given out, compared with 1236 in October and 2076 in November. But while the number of tickets has increased astronomically, the council says it’s likely to be due to a crossover in staff that saw just one full-time warden and a part-time warden patrolling in September, which were replaced with four full timers under EIL.
However, in November last year – with a similar number of full time staff – the council recorded 385 fewer tickets than this year.
Overall the number of tickets issued is down in 2013, compared to last year. In 2012, 17,792 tickets were given out with fines to the value of $1,199,389.
This year there have been 13,421 tickets issued to the value of $1,133,700.
NCC’s manager of communications, Angela Ricker, says staffing changes throughout the year could account for the reduction in tickets. “[Or] the enforcement message is getting through and people are parking correctly, thereby avoiding infringement fines,” she says.
The price of the infringement fines has not risen since the change of contract, says Angela.
