Request ID: FOI-1364-2324 Date published: 24 August 2023
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
Under TfL Ref: FOI-1808-1415 the following information was requested:
Please tell me what the uniform consists of that Civil Enforcement Officers on duty for TfL must wear in order to legally issue PCN in accordance with para 76 Traffic Management Act 2004.
Your response was as follows:
Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 2 February 2015 asking for information about Civil Enforcement Officers.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Unfortunately we do not hold the information you require.
The Civil Enforcement Officers are not TfL employees but work with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The MPS are contracted on our behalf to perform this function and therefore your request should be directed to them.
Their contact details can be found at the following link: http://www.met.police.uk/foi/contact_us.htm
I understand that this position has since changed, and TfL has made arrangements for MPS staff working on behalf of Transport for London to wear additional elements of their uniform to indicate to the public that they are acting on behalf of TfL for the purposes of parking enforcement.
I would like to request the following information:
1) Is it correct that TfL has now determined that PCSOs employed by the metropolitan police must wear additional items of uniform, in addition to their standard PCSO uniform?
2) If the answer to point 1 is yes, please confirm on what date between 2 February 2015 and today was this change introduced.
3) Section 76(3)(a) of the Traffic Management Act 2004 provides that CEOs "must wear such uniform as may be determined by the enforcement authority", it is reasonable to assume this determination would be recorded in written documents. I request a copy of the documents that constitute this determination.
4) Please provide any photos that show these additional items of uniform, and also how they are to be worn.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-1364-2324/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 28 July 2023 asking for information about PCSO uniform arrangements.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.
Is it correct that TfL has now determined that PCSOs employed by the metropolitan police must wear additional items of uniform, in addition to their standard PCSO uniform?
London’s red routes were decriminalised and TfL took over the responsibility of enforcement of the controls on the 15 November 2004. See below link:
The Met Police Traffic Wardens at the time along with a limited number of PCSOs enforced the red routes on behalf of TfL in a civil enforcement capacity (at the time utilising civil enforcement as an accredited parking attendant, now known as a CEO (Civil Enforcement Officer)).
To comply with the TMA (Traffic Management Act 2004) TfL initially issued all Traffic Wardens and PCSOs enforcing on behalf of TfL the sticker as per below which were attached to officers ticket binders (in use prior to the PDA/printer being issued). These were replaced by pin badges approved by the MPS clothing board to be worn – as Police Traffic Wardens and PCSO uniform is worn in conjunction and in compliance as subscribed to by the Home Office, all alterations or attachments of new equipment/badges etc, the uniforms have to be approved by a formal MPS process prior to being worn.
The badges were rolled out across the Met to different departments/bases to the Traffic Wardens and PCSOs over a matter of course and time to replace the stickers (which sufficed) and was dependant on badge stocks and supplies being delivered at the time.
The pin badges to the uniform were introduced in 2005 and have been worn ever since. Between 2017 and 2021, TfL some officers had stickers with ‘Red Route Enforcement for TfL’ affixed to their PDAs while the MPS and TfL explored the possibility of changing badge types to more easily fix on the uniform.
2) If the answer to point 1 is yes, please confirm on what date between 2 February 2015 and today was this change introduced. See above
3) Section 76(3)(a) of the Traffic Management Act 2004 provides that CEOs "must wear such uniform as may be determined by the enforcement authority", it is reasonable to assume this determination would be recorded in written documents. I request a copy of the documents that constitute this determination. This information is not held by TfL. You may wish to submit this part of your request to the MPS: https://www.met.police.uk/rqo/request/ri/request-information/ir/ask-for-delete-change-information/
4) Please provide any photos that show these additional items of uniform, and also how they are to be worn.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.’
Yours sincerely
Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
