Disbelief as council uses loophole to let learner driver parking wardens fine motorists who've passed their tests

A Labour council is using a loophole to let learner driver parking wardens fine motorists who have already passed their tests.

Civil enforcement officers are travelling on mopeds without a full licence to go around streets in south-west London and catch out drivers.

Lambeth Council has been criticised for using a ‘loophole’ to get more wardens onto the streets quickly to collect £35million a year in parking penalties, by brining in learner mopeds.

Wardens who are 18 and over are being hired with CBT certificates – meaning compulsory basic training – through a private contract with the parking firm Apcoa, according to The Telegraph.

The course, which is a day long, does not require a full practical theory test and teaches a low level of moped driving skills.

A Labour council is using a loophole to let learner driver parking wardens fine motorists who have already passed their tests (Stock photo)

Pensioner Richard Hughes, who has been driving for 40 years, said it was ‘a bit odd’ to be issued a ticket by a learner driver after he parked in Abbeville Village, Clapham, to collect food for his granddaughter.

‘It seems that there are loopholes and weaknesses in the system that means that it’s advantageous to them to be learners rather than to have passed their test,’ he said.

One warden on a learner moped issued a penalty on an unoccupied car around two minutes after it arrived, The Telegraph observed.

The moped was also reportedly parked in a suspended bay with its L plate semi upturned.

Lambeth Council is understood to be one of several councils using learner mopeds to give out parking fines.

An Apcoa spokesman said: ‘Alongside foot patrols, scooters offer a low emission and versatile means for CEO’s to carry out their duties within a large borough – 80 per cent of the Apcoa mopeds operating in Lambeth are electric.

Civil enforcement officers are travelling on mopeds without a full licence to go around streets in south-west London and catch out drivers (Stock photo)

‘These vehicles are driven in accordance with licence & DVLA regulations and all the Apcoa fleet is insured under a commercial agreement.’

A Lambeth council spokesman said: ‘Our parking services help to keep the streets of our busy inner London borough safe and convenient. We use foot patrols and electric scooters to efficiently achieve that, all in line with relevant legislation.

‘Penalty Charge Notices are only issued to people breaking the rules, and there are no targets attached to this work.’

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