Parking fines a nice little earner
North Devon Gazette
devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
SIR - Further to the unfortunate disabled people with parking problems in Ilfracombe, they are not alone.
I have been following correspondence in the Press for some time now on Bideford's desire to attract people and businesses into the centre of town. Torridge District Council is doing everything in its power to prevent visitors in cars using the town centre by its rapacious car parking policies.
Not only has it raised the car parking fee to 80p an hour in central Bideford (Bude is 50p) it is charging people wishing to worship at St Mary's who use the car park adjacent to the Church on Sundays.
Recently I had an appointment in town and parked on The Pill, purchasing a ticket for £1.20 to ensure I had enough time to complete my business. On returning, with 45 minutes in hand, I found I had been 'booked' because, unnoticed by me, the parking ticket had flipped over when I had closed the car door because the windows had been open a little for our dog's benefit.
Having got a valid ticket, proof of purchase no less, it seemed reasonable to appeal the threatened £40 fine - half a week of my state pension - rather than pay the immediate and exorbitant £10 into the machine as required - assuming I had the £10 available to do so, which I had not.
An appeal was not, however a reasonable thing to do. I had what is known as a 'slipped ticket' in the car parking jargon, and woe betide anyone who experiences such an accidental disturbance to the purchased ticket.
After all, the Warden takes not one, not two, but three photographs to prove it and the labourer is surely worthy of his or her hire.
One either pays up or risks an increased fine of £70 if any delay in payment occurs.
Furthermore, when one appeals, the person who scrutinises any appeal (and automatically rejects almost every one I gather) is the very person who issues the fines - the car parks manager!
One might at least expect an elected councillor, committee or other independent person or body to scrutinise appeals. But, as with the disabled people at Ilfracombe, the district council hides behind the law designed specifically to ensure that reasonable appeals against it are useless - and many councillors seem quite content to let the officials of the council get away with this.
A recent correspondent on this subject said that Devon County Council actually gets the parking fines, albeit I paid Torridge District Council.
A nice little earner.
I understand that some £50,000 in 'slipped tickets' and the like is the current annual 'take' - 'steal'.
Not only this, but advertising revenue is also obtained from the tickets. Some who have experienced this gratuitous "scam" have shrugged their shoulders and said: "That's how it is."
Even the Mayor of Bideford has told me this. It needn't be. In circumstances such as the above a reasonable administrative fee of, say £5 would be more appropriate if a valid ticket can be produced.
"Dear sir/madam,
your parking ticket is not properly visible.
If it is valid and still in time please send it with this notice with an £x administrative fee, otherwise the full excess charges will be applied."
It costs little to be polite.
Better still, issue the sticky-backed tickets to be found in many parking machines in more enlightened parts of the country.
I was sent a free sticky-backed holder for parking tickets which item can, of course, be purchased, I know not where.
This clearly obviates the initial requirement to install machines which issue stick-on tickets in the first place.
One can patronise the outer shopping areas quite easily without risking this 'Bideford Experience'.
The Reverend GeraldSmith
Woolsery
devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
SIR - Further to the unfortunate disabled people with parking problems in Ilfracombe, they are not alone.
I have been following correspondence in the Press for some time now on Bideford's desire to attract people and businesses into the centre of town. Torridge District Council is doing everything in its power to prevent visitors in cars using the town centre by its rapacious car parking policies.
Not only has it raised the car parking fee to 80p an hour in central Bideford (Bude is 50p) it is charging people wishing to worship at St Mary's who use the car park adjacent to the Church on Sundays.
Recently I had an appointment in town and parked on The Pill, purchasing a ticket for £1.20 to ensure I had enough time to complete my business. On returning, with 45 minutes in hand, I found I had been 'booked' because, unnoticed by me, the parking ticket had flipped over when I had closed the car door because the windows had been open a little for our dog's benefit.
Having got a valid ticket, proof of purchase no less, it seemed reasonable to appeal the threatened £40 fine - half a week of my state pension - rather than pay the immediate and exorbitant £10 into the machine as required - assuming I had the £10 available to do so, which I had not.
An appeal was not, however a reasonable thing to do. I had what is known as a 'slipped ticket' in the car parking jargon, and woe betide anyone who experiences such an accidental disturbance to the purchased ticket.
After all, the Warden takes not one, not two, but three photographs to prove it and the labourer is surely worthy of his or her hire.
One either pays up or risks an increased fine of £70 if any delay in payment occurs.
Furthermore, when one appeals, the person who scrutinises any appeal (and automatically rejects almost every one I gather) is the very person who issues the fines - the car parks manager!
One might at least expect an elected councillor, committee or other independent person or body to scrutinise appeals. But, as with the disabled people at Ilfracombe, the district council hides behind the law designed specifically to ensure that reasonable appeals against it are useless - and many councillors seem quite content to let the officials of the council get away with this.
A recent correspondent on this subject said that Devon County Council actually gets the parking fines, albeit I paid Torridge District Council.
A nice little earner.
I understand that some £50,000 in 'slipped tickets' and the like is the current annual 'take' - 'steal'.
Not only this, but advertising revenue is also obtained from the tickets. Some who have experienced this gratuitous "scam" have shrugged their shoulders and said: "That's how it is."
Even the Mayor of Bideford has told me this. It needn't be. In circumstances such as the above a reasonable administrative fee of, say £5 would be more appropriate if a valid ticket can be produced.
"Dear sir/madam,
your parking ticket is not properly visible.
If it is valid and still in time please send it with this notice with an £x administrative fee, otherwise the full excess charges will be applied."
It costs little to be polite.
Better still, issue the sticky-backed tickets to be found in many parking machines in more enlightened parts of the country.
I was sent a free sticky-backed holder for parking tickets which item can, of course, be purchased, I know not where.
This clearly obviates the initial requirement to install machines which issue stick-on tickets in the first place.
One can patronise the outer shopping areas quite easily without risking this 'Bideford Experience'.
The Reverend GeraldSmith
Woolsery
posted by Neil Herron at 11:41 AM
2 Comments:
If you're parking a car on illegal space then you have to face high parking fine. Avoid it by pre-booking airport parking Birmingham and stay hassle-free.
If you're savvy and want to spend money wisely during travelling and avoid hassles then book meet and greet at Stansted.
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