Parking stories in the News/media

Coupon-mad

Disabled Hospital patients in Northampton are still getting PCNs:

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/northampton-general-hospital-issues-reminder-to-disabled-motorists-on-how-to-use-car-park-correctly-to-avoid-an-ps80-fine-5505190

"Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has issued a statement following claims that disabled patients and visitors are still being fined despite a previous fault in the parking’s computer system being fixed.

The idiots said:

“It is important that each blue badge holder registers their vehicle on every visit to the hospital using the sign-posted directions on how to do this on site – or follow the instructions on our website. Given that ANPR cameras monitor all vehicles, any vehicle that isn’t registered will receive penalty notices."

So, the Hospital thinks these are 'penalties' and that it is perfectly OK to ask disabled people to take extra steps ON EVERY VISIT … just because their agent wants to use ANPR and harvest 'special category' data for no fair justification and in breach of the Equality Act 2010.

Their latest idea - due to yet more PCNs issued causing social media criticism - is to (effectively) BLAME THE DISABLED VICTIMS OF THE SCAM and issue a 'reminder' (that few will see and even fewer will look on the website) about how disabled people should have to faff about and 'register' their blue badges EVERY TIME as well as display them.

Nobody expects that to be a thing.

And it's only a thing because this rogue industry has seen an opportunity to run all bays remotely (cheaply) and rinse lots of disabled people, the more elderly or vulnerable of whom will just pay.

One wonders why the hospital didn't engage their brains and realise what the real problem is here - and it's not the disabled drivers.

The problem is excessive use of ANPR which is being deployed against disabled motorists inappropriately and in breach of data protection and disability legislation.

Coupon-mad

One Parking Solution allegedly issued a parking charge on public highway:

Electrician Andy Dickens refusing to pay charge issued by One Parking for parking in Hillcroft Close, Lymington

https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/news/it-s-bogus-electrician-fined-by-private-company-for-par-9452070/

…cowboy firm?

(That's what a Sunday newspaper called OPS a while back).

I could only see this snippet:

Coupon-mad

87 year old victim of UKPS & DR Plus actually paid £160 as it was distressing him:

https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/people/pensioner-87-left-with-ps160-parking-fine-over-misunderstanding-during-11-minute-visit-to-banbury-charity-shop-5496737

Allen Clegg, 87, visited the BHF charity furniture store in October in the hopes of picking up a bed frame.

As he has done in the past when purchasing items from the store, Allen parked his car in the small parking area to the rear of the shop. He said: “At the back of the shop, there is a customer collection sign and another sign informing drivers they cannot park for longer than 20 minutes, so I thought I knew the system and it would be ok to visit the store quickly.”

He says it took him 11 minutes to park his car, walk to the front of the store, enquire about bed frames (of which there weren’t any in stock) and then return to his car. A couple of weeks later, Mr Clegg received a notice from UKPS.

In the hopes of appealing, Mr Clegg travelled to Leamington, where UKPS are located, but says he was unable to find their office, as the company’s address leads to a residential area.

He spoke with staff at BHF in Banbury, who, according to Mr Clegg, told him ‘that this happens all the time’ and ‘to leave it with them and they would speak to head office and sort it’. However, in December he received another letter, this time from debt collectors Debt Recovery Plus, informing him he was now due to pay the full amount of £160.

Mr Clegg says he is disappointed because he thought that speaking to BHF would have solved the problem - but instead, as more time passed, the fine only grew larger.

After being left on hold for over half an hour when trying to appeal it with DR Plus, he finally paid. He said:

“I paid the fine just so I could sleep peacefully because I was thinking about it all the time, and it was causing me stress. The whole experience has put me off visiting Banbury again, and I want to make other people aware of what is going on in this area of town.”