Parking ticket in 'Free for 30 mins' bay - update

biscuitdunker

Sorry about the wobbly scanning, hope it's all still OK to read!

Here's my informal appeal rejection letter:







and my NTO:

Coupon-mad

I'm off to work shortly but bumping this in the hope that someone with knowledge of the correct wording requirements will be along to advise you soon.

If you don't get much response to this thread (as MSE has few specialised posters in this matter AFAIK) then do take a few minutes later to copy and paste the useful info over to a new thread on the pepipoo forums here:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

Hope the TRO wasn't in place, that would be a good one! Best of luck.

biscuitdunker

Thanks Coupon-Mad

I've just been on the phone to Croydon Parking Services and by the sounds of things, they appear to have no idea what's going on with that machine. The woman sounded very sympathetic, but really she had no idea. I asked for a copy of the TRO for that machine and she said I have to speak to the bloke in charge of managing the P&D machines in Croydon. So now I'm waiting for this bloke to call or email me.

And I've posted it all on pepipoo now. Someone mentioned that the signage on the machine looks unfriendly and may be TSRGD complaint, but I don't know how to check this.

Coblcris

The TSRGD applies to lines on the road and signs on posts etc..

Confusing wording on machines is often a good potential appeal point.

biscuitdunker

I've just been on the phone to the man who manages the Pay & Display machines in Croydon. It was a bit of a waste of time. I didn't even want to make a complaint about the machine, I just wanted a copy of the TRO! Anyway, the man spent a long time telling me that the wording on the machine is fine, but then towards the end conceded that perhaps he only thinks that because he's "in the business" and that maybe people who first see those tariffs don't then go on to read the bit about having to take a ticket even if parking for free. He said they would await the result of my appeal to decide whether to change the sticker on the machine.

peter_the_piper

And how did the request for the TRO go?

biscuitdunker

I'm still waiting for a woman called Judy in parking services to call me back. She said she would either before 4pm today or tomorrow. She didn't seem to know what a TRO was but said she would look into it. I did try getting through to another part of the council but they kept putting me back through to parking services even when I said that they couldn't help me! I think I'm being messed about with but guess I have to wait until tomorrow.

peter_the_piper

I always thought highways kept the TRO's which would explain why the parking lady was thrown. Go to look at the order if possible to make your own copy, this makes sure you get the correct copy.

biscuitdunker

OK, someone else has mentioned Highways to me, so I'll ring and ask for them, do they ever have another name, because I can't find that dept. on the website.

biscuitdunker

I have all the details for the Highways guys now, will be contacting them tomorrow.

Does anyone know whether quotes from newspaper articles can be included in appeals letters? This is the one I am specifically referring to from This Is Croydon, and is about the exact ticket machine which caught me out:

"The scheme, which could be rolled out in September, is already in place in Chipstead Valley Road and many traders are not happy with it.

Alan Wright, who runs Expresscopy in the road, said: "A lot of people know we have free parking but they don't realise they have to get a ticket and they're getting stung.

"The writing is very small on the actual machine, but every time we put up a sign to let people know the traffic wardens take them down."


Does the fact that even local shop owners have put signs up so that people don't forget to take a ticket evidence enough that the signage isn't good enough? Should i contact this man and ask him if I can use this quote in my appeal?