Traffic warden nabs bus picking up passengers

Motorists often complain that traffic wardens issue parking tickets for the silliest of reasons. Yesterday, though, the wardens seemed to have excelled themselves. One issued a ticket to a bus at a stop picking up passengers.

Passengers on the number 77 in Lever Street in Manchester city centre laughed as the driver, Chris O'Mahoney, tried to reason with the warden. Mr O'Mahoney thought it was a practical joke. But he was issued with a £40 ticket.

The bus company, Bluebird, complained to Manchester City Council, which employs Control Plus, the agency the warden worked for. Bluebird's operations manager, Nick Painter, said: "If buses are illegally parked, by all means give them a ticket – the wardens are only doing their jobs – but not when they are picking up passengers. Common sense must come into it."

A spokeswoman for the council, which make annual profits of £1.45m from parking fees, said the warden had displayed "lack of judgement". The ticket had been rescinded, she said, and the warden had been ordered to undergo "appropriate retraining".

Mr O'Mahoney said: "There were a couple of posties on the bus going back to their depot and they were in hysterics."