Blackburn driver booked again as he fought parking fine
11:35am Friday 16th May 2008
A PENSIONER was given a parking ticket while town hall officials were photocopying his disabled badge to appeal against another ticket.
David Evans, 69, of French Road, Blackburn, was originally given a £35 parking ticket on Friday, despite checking with an on-duty traffic warden that he was allowed to park with a blue badge on Lord Street West in the town centre.
When he returned a short time later, Mr Evans found another traffic warden had put a ticket on his car.
Mr Evans, who has emphysema and struggles to walk, said: "I was mad, but thought It's okay, I'll just appeal it.' "I found out to do that you have to go to the town hall, so I went on Tuesday afternoon and parked in one of the disabled bays at the back."
Mr Evans had to take his blue badge for photocopying at the town hall to appeal.
When he returned to his car, he once again found a ticket on his windscreen, this time for failing to display a blue badge.
Mr Evans said: "I joked to the clerk at the town hall that it would be just my luck to have another when I walked out. I went back in afterwards with the new ticket and he couldn't believe it.
"I'm going to appeal the second one. It's ludicrous."
Helen Smith, spokesperson for Mobilise, an organisation representing the disabled drivers, said: "It's not uncommon for this kind of problem to occur."
Ruth Carter from Black-burn with Darwen Disabled Access Group, said: "We have heard of this problem before in Blackburn. You have to remember though that the traffic warden at the town hall wouldn't have known the reason why the badge wasn't being displayed."
Coun Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration said:"Mr Evans was informed by one traffic warden that he could park on a single yellow line restriction. However, another traffic warden on patrol noticed that the clock had been displayed incorrectly.
"The clock should be set at time of arrival as states in the booklet issued with blue badges and he was correctly issued with a ticket on May 8.
"With regards to the second ticket that was issued on May 13, Mr Evans was chall-enging the previous ticket at Blackburn Town Hall during which time he had his blue badge with him in order to get a photocopy.
"Obviously, the warden would not have been aware this was the case and was right to issue the ticket because there was no blue badge on display. However, as Mr Evans was following council policy, the council was only too happy to cancel his ticket."