Motorists were still angry this week at being fined £60 for parking on yellow lines in Chelmsford on the Easter bank holidays.

Drivers who had traditionally parked on single yellow lines during bank holidays, believing that there were no restrictions, were issued with parking tickets by borough council parking attendants.

Before the takeover of parking administration by Chelmsford Borough Council in October, wardens did not operate on Sundays.

A few worked on bank holidays but fines were infrequent.

This Easter, drivers were booked wholesale but, if they pay quickly, the charge is cut to £30.

Ms Sam Rose, of Springfield, said: "I returned to my car in Duke Street to find several angry motorists. There was a ticket on my vehicle.

"I think we should have been warned that there would be wardens out. If I have committed the offence, I will pay the £30 grudgingly.

"The council says that Sunday concessions had never applied to Good Friday and Easter Monday."

A spokeswoman said: "The aim of the scheme is to have minimal obstruction and a free flow of traffic through the town. Good Friday was a particularly busy day, although we issued double the normal number of tickets on Monday - about 60.

"Normal car parking charges applied at the Meadows car park on those days. The multi-storey was open on Friday and closed on Monday, but all other car parks were free, as on Sundays, so there was not really any reason to park on streets.

"We are being more vigorous because we have more attendants than the police had wardens."

Councillor Keith Francis, the council's political head of transport, said that plans were in hand to give some full-time on-street parking back to the town centre.

Published Thursday, April 24, 2003

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