THE number of tickets dished out by city traffic wardens has dropped by 14 per cent since the council brought parking enforcement in-house last year.
Appeals against tickets have also fallen.
And the city council has claimed the service now focuses more on advising people rather than slapping tickets on cars.
More than 45,000 tickets were handed out in 2011-2012, compared to just 39,333 in 2012-2013 – a drop of more than 6,400.
Des Storey, team leader in parking enforcement, said the changes since bringing enforcement in-house were clear.
He added: "We have a reputation of sneaking around trying to catch people parking illegally, but that really isn't the case.
"If there is someone physically sitting in the car, we always point out alternative places to park and the reasons why they can't park in that spot. It doesn't always go down well, but we're always polite, courteous and do our best to give the best possible service we can.
"It's hard to remain popular when you're handing out fines, but many people don't appreciate that without parking enforcement, the traffic in Nottingham simply wouldn't flow as well as it does."
The parking enforcement team in the city has 35 members of staff who also educate people about parking issues in schools.
There are two types of tickets parking wardens can give out – a £70 one for offences like parking in resident-only spaces or a taxi rank and a £50 ticket for not having a ticket at a pay-and-display car park or overstaying the time on the ticket.
Both fines are reduced by half if paid within 14 days.
Parking enforcement manager James Clancy said the team of parking wardens have been trained to use discretion and negotiation where needed.
He added that the falling number of appeals shows that people who get a ticket understand the reasons why.
He said: "Instead of the stereotypical 'ticket first and ask questions later', officers will, wherever possible and safe to do so, look to engage and advise a driver of other parking options.
"We accept that we've still got a way to go. We're looking at some more innovative ways of reaching citizens, such as using social networking and inviting people to comment on our service."
Council leader Jon Collins said that when parking was brought in-house, the way parking was dealt with changed.
He added: "The service refocused its priorities on the customer, moving from a culture of enforcement to one of engagement."
