Disabled driver's hospital fine
The Scotsman
JOANNA VALLELY
A PARKING attendant gave a ticket to a man collecting his elderly mother from hospital despite the car's disabled badge.
Jim Hughes, 59, was picking up his mother from NHS Lothian's Ear, Nose and Throat department at Lauriston Place, where she was receiving treatment.
He left the car on a paved area in front of the clinic as there were no free spaces close enough for his mum, who walks with a stick and was dizzy after treatment.
Today, the self-employed chauffeur and catalogue distributor said he was livid after receiving the £60 fixed penalty notice. He added that his mother, who turned 92 on the day he received the ticket, was also very upset.
The council said all blue badge holders were given details about where they can and can't park, so Mr Hughes should have known he was not allowed to park on pavements at any time.
Molly Hughes, who lives in Balerno, was receiving vacuum treatment for an ongoing ear problem. Her son said she had the treatment every six months and it had always left her slightly dizzy.
Mr Hughes, from Kirknewton, West Lothian, told the Evening News he had dropped his mother at the clinic and gone off to run some shopping errands for her.
When he returned there were no parking spaces so he left the car in the least obstructive place available so his elderly mum would not have far to walk.
He said he received the ticket at 12.37pm after leaving the car for 15 minutes on an extended paved area with the disabled badge clearly displayed.
He said: "I was livid. I wasn't blocking the exit or pedestrians. I only parked there because there was no room on the service road and it was the least obstructive place to get access as close as possible."
He said he pulled the car on to the pavement in front of Lauriston Building using an access point which was level with the road.
"I displayed the disabled badge and went to collect my mum from the first floor," he said. "She had had treatment and was dizzy.
"As we came out I saw a traffic attendant at my car but I couldn't leave my mother and by the time I got out there was a £60 penalty on the windscreen."
He said he immediately drove to council headquarters to appeal the ticket, which was marked "footpath parked".
He added: "My mother is all wound up saying, 'You should have let me get the bus'. She got quite upset about it.
"What a wonderful 92nd birthday present from the council."
The city's transport leader, Councillor Ricky Henderson, said it was impossible for parking attendants to know the reasons people parked where they did when they issued a ticket.
He said: "We know that there are times when drivers find it difficult to get a parking space.
"However, parking attendants have no way of knowing the background when a car is parked incorrectly.
"Blue badge holders are made aware of where they can and cannot park when they are given their badge.
"Drivers are encouraged to appeal if they feel that they did not deserve to get a ticket."
JOANNA VALLELY
A PARKING attendant gave a ticket to a man collecting his elderly mother from hospital despite the car's disabled badge.
Jim Hughes, 59, was picking up his mother from NHS Lothian's Ear, Nose and Throat department at Lauriston Place, where she was receiving treatment.
He left the car on a paved area in front of the clinic as there were no free spaces close enough for his mum, who walks with a stick and was dizzy after treatment.
Today, the self-employed chauffeur and catalogue distributor said he was livid after receiving the £60 fixed penalty notice. He added that his mother, who turned 92 on the day he received the ticket, was also very upset.
The council said all blue badge holders were given details about where they can and can't park, so Mr Hughes should have known he was not allowed to park on pavements at any time.
Molly Hughes, who lives in Balerno, was receiving vacuum treatment for an ongoing ear problem. Her son said she had the treatment every six months and it had always left her slightly dizzy.
Mr Hughes, from Kirknewton, West Lothian, told the Evening News he had dropped his mother at the clinic and gone off to run some shopping errands for her.
When he returned there were no parking spaces so he left the car in the least obstructive place available so his elderly mum would not have far to walk.
He said he received the ticket at 12.37pm after leaving the car for 15 minutes on an extended paved area with the disabled badge clearly displayed.
He said: "I was livid. I wasn't blocking the exit or pedestrians. I only parked there because there was no room on the service road and it was the least obstructive place to get access as close as possible."
He said he pulled the car on to the pavement in front of Lauriston Building using an access point which was level with the road.
"I displayed the disabled badge and went to collect my mum from the first floor," he said. "She had had treatment and was dizzy.
"As we came out I saw a traffic attendant at my car but I couldn't leave my mother and by the time I got out there was a £60 penalty on the windscreen."
He said he immediately drove to council headquarters to appeal the ticket, which was marked "footpath parked".
He added: "My mother is all wound up saying, 'You should have let me get the bus'. She got quite upset about it.
"What a wonderful 92nd birthday present from the council."
The city's transport leader, Councillor Ricky Henderson, said it was impossible for parking attendants to know the reasons people parked where they did when they issued a ticket.
He said: "We know that there are times when drivers find it difficult to get a parking space.
"However, parking attendants have no way of knowing the background when a car is parked incorrectly.
"Blue badge holders are made aware of where they can and cannot park when they are given their badge.
"Drivers are encouraged to appeal if they feel that they did not deserve to get a ticket."
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