NCP Wheel Clamping Van ... causing an obstruction

The commute into work from East Belfast seems to be improving. By that I mean it’s not as bad as I expected now that the schools are back. Maybe I’m hitting the sweet spot just before the school rush that surges onto the roads and blocks them up.

What really helps is when the Urban Clearway signs are obeyed, and both lanes down the Holywood Road and Albert Bridge Road are kept clear of parked vehicles.

The red Clear-yer-Drains van and Biffy bin lorry, both parked just before the lights opposite the CS Lewis wardrobe sculpture at the bottom of the Holywood Road, were slowing things down this morning.

But worse was the NCP Wheel Clamp Van that was parked half on and half off the pavement on the Albertbridge Road, near the yellow Scripture Union building. Smacks of laziness given the proper lay-by only a few yeards up the road in front of the fancy audio LRG (Sound & Vision) shop.

No cars in sight to clamp ... other than their own vehicle. Cars and buses having to pull out to get past the obstruction. Twenty past eight this morning in case NCP Services want to check it out.

To quote Roads Service website:

“The only objective of the new scheme is to reduce the number of illegally parked vehicles on our roads. This in turn will reduce traffic congestion, improve road safety and improve accessibility for all road-users, including Blue Badges holders.” (text bolded by Roads Service not me)

The very people given a contract with the objective of stamping out illegal parking in urban clearways and improving traffic flow on streets across Northern Ireland are the ones causing obstructions rather than removing them.

Update 17 November - 74 days after emailing DRD NI's Roads Service, and getting a handful of quick responses to say that they were looking into it, still no substantive response. Correction - Turns out that the response is due from DVLNI (under the umbrella of DOE), who joined the chain 70 days ago ...