Traffic Management Act (TMA) 2004

What is the Traffic Management Act 2004?

“The Traffic Management Act 2004 is intended to provide better conditions for all road users through proactive management of the national and local road network”  (DfT Website)

In practical terms for the motorist, the Traffic Management Act provides the legal framework for parking.

When did the Traffic Management Act come into effect?

On March 31 2008, the Traffic Management Act (TMA) replaced the Road Traffic Act 1991 (RTA) as the primary piece of legislation covering parking in England and Wales.

The main changes?

The TMA introduced a few subtle changes in that Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) became Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE), and Parking Attendants became Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs).

Civil Enforcement Officers

What is a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO)?

A Parking Attendant is now known as a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO), and fulfils a wider remit than previously under the Road Traffic Act (RTA).

Will the work that a Civil Enforcement Officer carries out change?

A CEO’s main objective remains to ensure that parking controls are observed and enforced in a fair, accurate and consistent manner. However, a CEO’s duties will also include related activities such as:

  • inspecting parking equipment;
  • checking and reporting defective parking signs and road markings; and
  • issuing information leaflets and warning notices where appropriate.

The CEO may also be asked to undertake other tasks, including:

  • reporting suspected abandoned vehicles;
  • reporting vehicles with no valid tax disc to the DVLA

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