NHS staff visiting residents in their homes to administer the COVID-19 vaccine will be exempt from enforcement of Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) measures, Ealing Council has confirmed.
NHS staff administering home visit vaccinations who are required to enter LTN sites in the borough should email Suspensions@ealing.gov.uk entering ‘Key Worker’ in the subject heading. They should provide their vehicle registrations in the body of the email and state they would like an LTN exemption as they are administering vaccines to ensure they are registered as exempt from receiving penalty charge notices (PCNs) when entering LTN sites.
Health staff and other key workers can park for free in council car parks and in on-street bays during the current coronavirus emergency period.
Councillor Jasbir Anand, cabinet member for environment and climate action said: “The council remains committed to helping critical workers such as NHS staff, carers and the emergency services travel in the borough throughout the pandemic. We are working with colleagues in the NHS to arrange for exemption for staff administering vaccines to housebound residents living in LTNs during the current COVID-19 emergency period.”
The council has confirmed a number of changes to the borough’s LTNs following an interim assessment of the trial schemes. Bollards currently used to prevent through traffic are being replaced with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras as a means of enforcing the trial schemes and an exemption will be given for Blue Badge holders in the LTN they live in. Council authorised vehicles transporting people with mobility impairment will also be given an exemption.
The council is writing to eligible Blue Badge holders with details of how to register for an exemption. Please continue to follow LTN restrictions until you have received confirmation of your registration from the council.
LTNs aim to minimise non-local traffic using quieter residential areas as through-roads. Most contraventions to date come from vehicles registered outside the borough – 60% according to most recent data. Additionally, nine out of every 10 PCNs handed out as part of enforcement of the trial schemes during December 2020 were issued to drivers who live outside of that LTN.
Non- exempt drivers who contravene LTN measures could face an PCN of £130 or £65 if paid within 14 days. The full list of LTNs subject to enforcement rules can be viewed via the council’s website. Local people can find full information and detailed maps of every LTN in the borough via the council’s Commonplace website.
