West End parking tickets to be issued by helpful 'traffic marshals'

Traffic marshals are to be introduced across the West End to tackle congestion in the heart of London.

Dozens of the grey-and-yellow uniformed officials will help motorists find parking spaces, guide pedestrians and assist businesses with deliveries as part of Westminster council’s new parking blueprint.

The scheme was drawn up after the Tory flagship authority was forced to abandon its disastrous “nightlife tax” plan in January which would have seen motorists charged up to £4.80 an hour to park in the evenings and on Sunday afternoons. The fiasco led to the resignation of Westminster council leader Colin Barrow.

The marshals will patrol streets from Soho to St John’s Wood. The officers, tested in Leicester Square since the summer, are not traffic wardens — but will have the power to issue tickets, which the council says will be “a last resort”.

Daniel Astaire, Westminster’s parking spokesman, said: “I recognise that in the past, when we did not listen to the advice of communities and businesses, we misjudged the situation. We have learned. I’m not going to bring in evening and weekend charges over this term, nor do I have any plans to put up charges.

"Our aim is to make parking as straightforward and accessible and easy as possible. It’s always something that is frustrating for people and we want to make coming to Westminster, doing business and living here as simple and straightforward as possible.”

Motorists will also be able to use a hi-tech parking scheme which has been tested in four streets but will be rolled out across the rest of the borough over the next 18 months. Based on a similar programme in San Francisco, parking spots will be fitted with sensors which let nearby drivers know via their phones when they are empty.

Other technology that could be developed includes radio-frequency identity tags for resident parking, Oyster card-style electronic purses to pay for parking and automatic suspension of bays when, for example, residents move house.

Westminster also set out its parking finances — the service raised almost £78 million last year and cost £40.7 million to run.

Mr Astaire denied that parking was a “cash cow” for the council as the £37 million surplus was ploughed back into wider transport and environment spending.