A traffic warden is a non-warranted officer employed by a statutory authority in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Ireland, to assist in regulating the flow of traffic.

Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, traffic wardens are employed by councils to enforce laws relating to the parking and stopping of motor vehicles. They were introduced by the Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act 1975. Under the Road Traffic Acts, traffic wardens are empowered to issue on the spot parking tickets

Parking violation

A parking violation is the act of parking a motor vehicle in a restricted place or for parking in an unauthorized manner. It is against the law virtually everywhere to park a vehicle in the middle of a highway or road; parking on one or both sides of a road, however, is commonly permitted....

 and fines for non-display for a tax disk

Motor Tax in the Republic of Ireland

Motor Tax is an annual duty payable on motor vehicles in the Republic of Ireland for use in public places. A new system for new private cars was introduced in 1 July 2008 where the tax rates are based on the carbon dioxide emissions of the car while in operation...

. It is an offence to refuse to provide your name and address when demanded to do so by a traffic warden.

United Kingdom

Traffic wardens were introduced to Britain under the Road Traffic Act 1960. Besides their stated duty of "issuing [penalty] tickets for parking offences", their role also included "offering advice to motorists".

Traffic wardens issue non-endorsable Fixed Penalty Notice

Fixed Penalty Notice

Fixed penalty notices were introduced in Britain in the 1950s to deal with minor parking offences. Originally used by police and traffic wardens, their use has extended to other public officials and authorities, as has the range of offences for which they can be used.In recent years, this has...

s to vehicles that are breaching certain parking regulations, which may include stopping on a Red route

Red route

Red routes are major roads in urban areas of the United Kingdom, on which vehicles are not permitted to stop. This includes stopping for loading or unloading, and boarding or alighting from a vehicle . Red routes are mainly used on major bus and commuting routes.Red routes are marked with red lines...

, exceeding the time limit in a free parking bay, or parking on yellow lines, which indicate that a waiting or loading restriction is in force. Wardens also issue Endorsable Fixed Penalty Notices for parking offences such as parking in a dangerous position or parking on the crossing area in the approach to a pedestrian crossing

Pedestrian crossing

A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can be seen by motorists, and where they can cross most safely across the flow of vehicular traffic...

.

The number of traffic wardens in Great Britain has dropped significantly since 1991, when the Road Traffic Act gave local authorities the option to apply for Decriminalised Parking Enforcement

Decriminalised parking enforcement

Decriminalised parking enforcement is the name given in the United Kingdom to the civil enforcement of car parking regulations, carried out by civil enforcement officers, operating on behalf of either a local authority or a private firm. The Road Traffic Act 1991 Decriminalised parking enforcement...

 powers, under which they can employ civil enforcement officer

Civil enforcement officer

A civil enforcement officer is a person employed to enforce parking, traffic and other restrictions and laws in England & Wales. In England, they are employed by county councils, London Borough Councils, metropolitan district councils or Transport for London, and in Wales by county councils - or...

s to monitor parking regulations.

The Metropolitan Police

Metropolitan police

Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...

 has merged the roles of traffic warden and Police Community Support Officer

Police community support officer

A police community support officer , or community support officer is a uniformed non-warranted officer employed by a territorial police force or the British Transport Police in England and Wales. Police community support officers were introduced in September 2002 by the Police Reform Act 2002...

 to create the Traffic Police Community Support Officer role. These officers have the powers of both a Community Support Officer and a Traffic Warden .

See also

• traffic guard
  Traffic Guard
  A traffic guard, "traffic controller", "flagman", or "flagger" is a person who directs traffic through a construction site or other temporary traffic control zone past an area using signs or flags. They are responsible for maintaining the safety and efficiency of traffic, as well as the safety of...