Customer care courses for Conwy County Council traffic wardens

Jun 11 2009 by Richard Evans, North Wales Weekly News

TRAFFIC wardens could be sent on customer relations training courses after Conwy County Council admitted they need to improve their image.

This week the council’s cabinet voted for a special committee to investigate complaints from the public and the attitudes and concerns of parking attendants.

The move follows an incident last month when 39-year-old Peter David Smith of Dinerth Road, Rhos-on-Sea, was sentenced to a 16-week custodial sentence for causing actual bodily harm to a Conwy traffic warden in Llewelyn Road, Colwyn Bay last July.

In April, the Weekly News revealed that Conwy County Council had issued more parking tickets than any other authority in North Wales since taking over from the police in 2006.

The authority has raised over £1.4m in revenue since the takeover.

Now, in an effort to improve public relations and protect staff, the council is considering looking at how traffic wardens deal with the public.

The communities scrutiny committee led by Cllr Brian Cossey will now look into putting staff on customer relations courses, as well as traffic wardens’ duties and investigating how revenue could be best spent.

Cllr Graham Rees proposed the idea at the meeting at Bodlondeb earlier this week.

“There was an assault on a civil enforcement parking attendant in Colwyn Bay, and the perpetrator got 16 weeks in custody,” he said.

“I’m not condoning violence against staff whatsoever, but I think there is an issue.

“Maybe they could go on a customer relations management course?

“I was in Colwyn Bay yesterday, my front wheel was on the line and I saw the officer walking towards me and got back in the car and moved it six inches. But there have been people who have got tickets.

“We’ve got to improve their image. They have got a job to do, they are part of the front line service, but our image is not very good.”

Conwy’s chief executive Byron Davies emphasised that the parking warden had been the victim of a mindless act of violence.

“I understand the point Cllr Rees is making but this assault had nothing to do with customer care,” he said.

Cllr Glyn Jones paid testament to the hard work of the county’s parking attendants.

“On the two occasions I’ve spoken to traffic wardens they’ve spoken to me in a very polite, courteous way and had no idea who I was,” he said.

“We have to be careful we don’t take anything away from our parking enforcement officers. You might have one or two who are not as courteous as they could be, but on the whole they do a good job.”

The committee will report back to cabinet once a report has been compiled.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Cossey explained why the review was taking place.

“It’s been two years since we took over from the police and we want to take the time to review the situation to see if it is financially sound,” he said.

“Because of the complaints we get we also want to talk to traffic wardens about how they feel, how they treat the public and how the public treats them.

“If sending people on public relations courses is necessary, we will consider it,” he added.