At 80, this patient deserves sympathy not parking fines

Published: 1st April, 2011

• ENVIRONMENT chief Councillor Paul Smith claims Islington Council is sympathetic to the personal circumstances of people issued with parking tickets outside Whittington Hospital (Patients left in tears by ‘heartless’ parking fines, March 25). 

My neighbour, Len Penny, who is 80 and has a disabled badge, was ticketed outside the Whittington last November after his appointment overran. He appealed against the ticket, pointing out that he had displayed his badge and had always parked there in the past without any problems. 

After several emails saying they were looking into the matter, he was told he had contravened loading/unloading restrictions and would have to pay the £60. He was referred to page 20 of the blue badge booklet for further explanation.

Three weeks later, Mr Penny’s daughter took the day off work to drive her father to the Whittington for an appointment. She asked a passing warden if she could park with her father’s blue badge and was told she could. When she came back to the car, she found it had been ticketed. When she appealed, she was told that, unless she could give the name and number of the warden who had advised her, she would have to pay.

So within three weeks, Mr Penny and his daughter paid £120 in parking fines. Ironically, Mr Penny would be entitled to community transport to get him to and from the hospital for his frequent appointments. But because he is independent, he either drives himself or one of his children takes time off work to take him. Mr Penny’s reward for saving the council and the hospital money by getting there under his own steam is that he and his family are out of pocket.

None of this squares with Cllr Smith’s claim that “we are sympathetic to personal circumstances” of people being ticketed outside the hospital. If Mr Penny, an 80-year-old man with a disabled badge who has to visit the hospital often, doesn’t qualify, who does? 

It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the council is determined to exploit the confusing and poorly signed regulations governing parking around the hospital to maximise revenue at the expense of vulnerable patients. 

I invite Cllr Smith to tell us how many parking tickets are issued in the vicinity of the Whittington each month and how many are rescinded on appeal.

No one visits a hospital for the fun of it and many people, like Mr Penny, suffer from serious and chronic health problems. Surely they have a right to expect support and encouragement, especially when, like Mr Penny, they are saving public money by using their own transport. But all Islington offers is empty words and more parking fines. 
Stephen Moorby
Trecastle Way, N7