Local authorities and the Department for Transport have been taken to task by MPs in a stinging assessment of on-street parking policy and enforcement. In what it calls a ‘serious indictment’ of central and local government, the Commons Transport Committee reports that it found ‘inconsistent, poor, and creaking administration, lack of drive for reform, poor communications, confusion, and a lack of accountability’. The report, which sets out almost 100 recommendations, also warns transport ministers and civil servants that their imminent generalised guidance on parking will fail to tackle fundamental problems. Instead, the MPs demand a detailed rulebook with clear performance criteria for councils to ‘co-ordinate a step-change in parking enforcement arrangements in the country’. They also call for a firm timetable to implement decriminalised parking nationwide, branding as ‘irrational’ the continuing lax police enforcement in 55% of English local authority areas. The most controversial charge against councils, that they tailor enforcement to maximise revenue, is deemed unproven, although the MPs accept that some put their parking managers under pressure to meet budgeted income levels. These continuing allegations should be tackled head-on through greater transparency and scrutiny. Accusing authorities of ‘poor judgement and lack of professionalism’ for failing to publish annual parking reports, the committee says these should disclose financial information and progress against performance indicators, such as compliance rates, efficiency in dealing with motorists’ representations, and the outcomes of appeals. Scrutiny of local authority parking departments needs to be strengthened by the DfT and Audit Commission, and the service should affect comprehensive performance assessment scores. Parking adjudicators should have a higher profile and beefed-up powers to award costs against councils which fail to deal with representations or rectify traffic regulation orders. The MPs say TROs are often inaccurate and confusing, and urged that they be checked annually and set out clearly on council websites. The DfT is also criticised for prolonged inaction on banning footway parking outside London, and overhauling signage regulations, especially for controlled parking zones, where drivers need reminder signs. Living Streets, which has campaigned for a footway parking ban for years, hailed the report as ‘visionary, because it clearly places parking as a “quality of life” issue’. London boroughs saw the call to extend decriminalised parking as ‘a big vote of confidence’. The select committee, like others before it, had found no evidence of illegal revenue raising, said Cllr Daniel Moylan, its transport committee chairman. The Local Government Association confined its comments to insisting councils have ‘freedom to make decisions on enforcement in their area’. • Parking policy and enforcement. Seventh report of Commons transport committee, session 2005/06.