Shocked taxi driver fined £70 for one minute of parking in Newton Abbot
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
A taxi driver was left fuming after he popped into a pub to pick up a customer — but came out to discover his car had been issued with a parking fine within, he claims, one minute of being parked up.
Jed Trout parked in a disabled bay outside the Jolly Farmer pub in Newton Abbot on Saturday while he nipped inside to tell his client he was outside waiting.
When he got back outside he found he had been hit with a £70 ticket after his car was 'observed' in a one-minute timeframe, parked where it shouldn't have been.
Jed, of X-Cars, accused civil enforcement officers of 'going overboard'.
But Teignbridge Council, the enforcement authority, said: "Rules are there for a reason."
The incident happened on Saturday when Jed went to the Jolly Farmer to collect a customer.
Jed said: "I parked in a disabled bay, which becomes a taxi rank after 6pm.
"There were four or five free parking spaces so I parked in one and quickly went into the pub to let the customer know I was outside.
"I came out and found the parking ticket. I had not even been inside for one minute — I could not believe it.
"I don't believe, in the amount of time it was issued, that the civil enforcement officer had any time to observe it being parked for any length of time.
"Had that been a police officer, I would have been told to move on and given the benefit of the doubt.
"But there was just no leeway whatsoever. I think it doesn't do them any favours and just alienates them from the public.
"I phoned Teignbridge Council and they have said I have the right to appeal — something I am going to do."
A Teignbridge Council spokesman said: "No one likes getting a parking ticket and we're certainly not in the business of ticketing people for no reason.
"However, we have to be clear that the rules are there, they're for everyone's benefit, they're clearly signposted and if anyone chooses to break them they risk getting a ticket.
"Parking in a disabled bay for one or two minutes may seem like nothing, but might make all the difference if a genuinely disabled driver is hunting for a space at the same time.
"We do understand that a ticket is the last thing anyone wants, but we do have a responsibility to apply the law fairly and consistently to everyone — whether someone is parking illegally in a disabled parking space, double yellow lines or anywhere else.
"There is an appeals procedure which anyone can follow, and this is printed on all tickets. We'd be very happy to review any case."
Source; thisissouthdevon.co.uk
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