Disabled Driver fine

[Fran]

Disabled drivers with blue badges beware when you are in Inverness. My friend always parks in the car park at the side of TKMax in Inverness (not their car park) and has done for years. There are only 4 disabled parking bays and he waited and waited for one then parked elsewhere in an empty space and displayed his blue badge. Imagine his shock when he returned and had a civil penalty notice stuck on his car for £60 for having "no valid ticket".
He always thoughthe could park in any car park free. He looked up the disabled badge web site where it states "disabled persons badge holders can park at pay and display car parks without charge"
To me, the alleged parking contravention did not occur, but if he doesnt paY THE £60 WITHIN ten days he will be fined an extra £10.
Just wanted to warn you all about this.He says he will refuse to pay and will go to court if necessary.

[JAWS]

Fran, that's disgraceful. I would have assumed that Disabled Bays were there to assist Disabled Drivers in case they need the extra width in order to get in and out of the vehicle.

I wouldn't think that they have an obligation to use only the Disabled Bays and no others.
I'm not certain but I think the Badges are issued by the Council. If so I would certainly be making enquiries with the Highland Council to find out exactly what the rules are.

It's possible that enforcing the Pay and Display, like the Safety (Speed) Cameras, have been hived of on a Contract. If that's the case then the main aim will not be using Common Sense but keeping the Contract, in which case it will be the more tickets the better and anybody will do.

[hobbes1962]

You friend needs to write to the Inspector at Inverness, outlining the circumstances, enclosing photocopies of the parking badge and the bit off the website. The ticket MAY be cancelled but it doesn't always work.

[Dreadnought]

Your friend may like to read this (http://www.direct.gov.uk/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/MotoringAndTransportArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4001061&chk=lH40Ue) In particular the section titled 'Where the scheme applies'.

"The Blue Badge scheme does not apply to off-street car parks, private roads or at most airports."

[frank ward]

It's true that you have to be careful where you park off-street, even in public car parks.

I was on holiday in Llandudno and the council car park had four 'disabled' bays, they were all full. So I parked in an empty unmarked bay and displayed my blue badge.

When I returned [12 minutes later!] I had a ticket, and it was only on reading the VERY small print on a sign 60 metres away that I saw the catch, which said "Disabled users may park without charge in marked bays only"

I wasn't the only one - two other cars nearby also had penalty tickets.
A nice little earner for the council, they probably have a warden in a hide overlooking the car park. Needless to say he/she was nowhere to be found when I went looking with my jack handle.

[Dreadnought]

It's true that you have to be careful where you park off-street, even in public car parks.

I was on holiday in Llandudno and the council car park had four 'disabled' bays, they were all full. So I parked in an empty unmarked bay and displayed my blue badge.

When I returned [12 minutes later!] I had a ticket, and it was only on reading the VERY small print on a sign 60 metres away that I saw the catch, which said "Disabled users may park without charge in marked bays only"

I wasn't the only one - two other cars nearby also had penalty tickets.
A nice little earner for the council, they probably have a warden in a hide overlooking the car park. Needless to say he/she was nowhere to be found when I went looking with my jack handle.

If you knew the Blue Badge did not apply in off-road car parks, why didn't you buy a ticket? It wasn't the warden's fault that you failed to pay.

[frank ward]

The rule is not universal.

There are many off-road sites that the blue badge is valid for.

The Llandudno incident was the first time I became aware of the restriction, as I had used council off-road sites in many areas before.

It seems that the driver must check the small print on the public signs, usually attached to the ticket machines.

We live and learn.

[JAWS]

Frank, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought your original post said that you used an ordinary bay as the Disabled Bays were already in use and displayed your badge.
On your return, after a few minutes you found a ticket on your car.
It was at that point, after you had returned to your car and found the ticket, that you then went and read the small print on the notice and it was only then that you discovered that the Badges are only of use for vehicles which are actually in the Disabled Bays.

As I understand it you were not aware, at the time you parked, that Disabled Badges were ineffectual in the normal bays and that you only became aware when you went to check why a ticket had been issued.

Seems perfectly clear to me what order things happened in or is it me who has got everything in the wrong order.

[Fran]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/11/11_14_16.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZN) I thought I would give you the outcome to this thread on diabled blue badge parking.
My friend wrote to glasgow appealing against his fine for parking in the pay and display car park by tk Max store in Inverness. His appeal was denied. He was told if he had read the small print at the notice board where you payand collect your ticket he would have seen the rules. My friend has replied by saying he has never been near the board because he has never paid for a few years, so how would he k ow what to pay. He is having to pay a £60 fine before 10th December for parking his car with blue disabled badge showing in the car park. BEWARE.

[triger]

well all i can say is every one is treated the same when breaking the law,abled bodied or not.its about time they started to assess each person individualy on just how disabled they are ,most i see getting out there cars are more abled than i am,espcialy those who have got time to walk about with jack handles .like dreadnought said the traffic warden was only doing his job

[the nomad]

It's a hard pill to swallow but I must agree with triger, as a resident in Inverness parking acn be a nightmare at times, the city is growing every day. If rules are relaxed there will be cars parking everywhere, that said and in this instance only they could have waved the fine and giving a stern letter.

[Fran]

well all i can say is every one is treated the same when breaking the law,abled bodied or not.its about time they started to assess each person individualy on just how disabled they are ,most i see getting out there cars are more abled than i am,espcialy those who have got time to walk about with jack handles .like dreadnought said the traffic warden was only doing his job


There was no traffic warden involved and the police cannot do anything, even though they said no fine should have been ordered. It is a car park like so many ,pay and display, that are owned by a company in glasgow.If you are disabled you dont pay in car parks, just display your badge. So you dont know what is written in the small print at the payment machine. It has ruined his christmas having to pay a £60 fine.

[frank ward]

triger, my remark about seeking out the traffic warden with a jack handle was not supposed to be taken seriously!!!

I should have made a point that disabled parking spaces are not numerous enough, certainly in town centres. At most supermarkets they are more than adequate.

To the agile, it may appear that sometimes someone is not 'disabled' enough to warrant a badge. But in my personal experience, a disabled person might appear sprightly enough when leaving a vehicle, but after walking a few dozen yards the pain can be crippling, I can tell you. Do not be quick to judge.

[triger]

triger, my remark about seeking out the traffic warden with a jack handle was not supposed to be taken seriously!!!

I should have made a point that disabled parking spaces are not numerous enough, certainly in town centres. At most supermarkets they are more than adequate.

To the agile, it may appear that sometimes someone is not 'disabled' enough to warrant a badge. But in my personal experience, a disabled person might appear sprightly enough when leaving a vehicle, but after walking a few dozen yards the pain can be crippling, I can tell you. Do not be quick to judge.
that might well be true but like you say dont be so quick to judge after all it has become a standing joke about some people getting out of disabled badge displaying vehicles and moving quicker than the great man him self.(amen).