Parish parking charges for registered providers of care

2020.01.21

18 Deputy J.M. Maçon of the Chair of the Comité des Connétable s regarding Parish

parking charges for registered providers of care: (OQ.9/2020)

Will the Comité consider whether, and how, Parish parking charges for registered providers of care could be waived and what scheme could be established to achieve this?

The Connétable of St. Lawrence (Chairman , Comité des Connétable s):

We have heard from the Minister for Infrastructure this morning that he intends to work with the Connétable of St. Helier to look at this and I can confirm that no other Parish charges for parking, although across the Island charges are made on behalf of the Infrastructure Department and also Ports of Jersey.

1. Deputy J.M. Maçon:

The Chairman commented how she had not had the correspondence; I have now shared that with her to reflect upon in time, because States Members have been contacted. One strand, which we have looked at, is cost. Another strand that the carer that contacted me was trying to make the point that the ability for someone to be able to provide the service of care to people without having perhaps to worry about to run off to renew their parking ticket, so there was time in order to properly do that. Under the current system of enforcement there is not the ability to do that. So does the Chairman think that, among the Parishes, there might be worthwhile, particularly in the urban ones, there is some form of policy or permit scheme that could be developed to support those providing these types of services?

[12:30]

The Connétable of St. Lawrence :

The Deputy may well be referring to the potential for carers to be fined if they overstay on say a 3- hour zone. As the Deputy knows, and as the Assembly knows, fines are administered by the Honorary Police and the Chef of course has operational responsibility for that. So, if someone was to be fined, they would be able to appeal against it. The Constable would have no say in that because we are not involved with it. However, Centeniers who are elected and who would have the decision as to whether or not to waive a fine, are known for their common sense and their understanding of the vulnerability of elderly and others and so I am sure that they would take that into account. Whether or not Parishes could set up some way of carers not being fined I think would prove to be very difficult indeed.

2. Deputy M. Tadier :

Can the Chairman confirm that it is not just the Honorary Police who issue fines, some Parishes employ traffic wardens from the Parish, which are paid by the Parish, and that when fines are issued a proportion of the fines that are collected are kept in Parish coffers, is that correct?

The Connétable of St. Lawrence :

A couple of questions there: if a parking fine is issued by the Honorary Police, that money is retained in the Parish and goes to the general Parish coffers. I am sorry, I have forgotten the other part.

Deputy M. Tadier :

That is the point, so whether it is issued by an Honorary Police officer or a traffic warden employed by the Parish, the Parish retains some of it. May I ask a supplementary because that has been answered?

The Deputy Bailiff :

You are endangering the next question, we are running out of time, and that is your question of the Dean, so it is a matter for you.

Deputy M. Tadier :

I will leave it. [Laughter]

3. Deputy J.M. Maçon:

I would just like to thank the Connétable for the clarity that she has issued. I did make the Islander who raised this question aware this is far more complex than they have presented it to be and I look forward to the outcome of the discussions between the Minister for Infrastructure and the Comité des Connétable s. But does the Chairman agree that, if there is a policy outcome, that consistency across the Parishes would be a useful way forward?

The Connétable of St. Lawrence : I do.