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Targeted by wardens
• THE parking system needs a thorough overhaul. Islington claimed it liberalised the system but there is still a problem of wardens being overzealous with the elderly and disabled. Last year, the borough earned £2.2 million, a vast sum by any standard, much of this through doubtful traffic offences.
Islington Pensioners Forum has recently been targeted, subject to bus stop cameras and traffic wardens. Fortunately, the camera appeal was accepted but only after detailed explanations, further time-wasting and a great deal of anguish mixed with anger at the possibility of having to pay a fine from limited funds.
There are traffic signs giving confusing and ill-thought-out instructions. In particular, our member who parked in Upper Street got a penalty despite having a disabled badge. The sign said no stopping between 7am and 1pm, loading 20 minutes and disabled wheelchair three hours. All on one sign. Our member parked there at 12.40pm and returned at 1.20pm to find a parking ticket for £120 or, if paid within 14 days, £60.
We decided to pay the £60 and appeal on the principle of three hours allowed for disabled parking. If the appeal failed we would have to pay only £60 out of our funds. The appeal was rejected after two attempts to make our case. The authorities’ reasoning was that by paying the £60 we had admitted liability. They then closed the case.
Within a few yards along Upper Street signs will change times for what appears to be no particular reason. The system of confusing signs is deliberate, we believe, to get the council maximum income for traffic offences.
Our own honorary vice-president, Mary Cosh, author of An Islington History, has been subjected to a great deal of warden hostility. A disabled badge holder, she has paid penalties for very minor offences. The last one, I understand, was for having the official badge the wrong way on show.
GEORGE DURACK
Chairman, Islington Pensioners Forum
• THE injustice of parking fines has now gone further than even a bad joke. I am now being pressed to pay £180 after not even being given a parking ticket. It started in April, when after parking in York Way and displaying my disabled parking badge to go for a railway ticket at King’s Cross, I returned to be confronted by a parking official who told me it was restricted after 4pm. He then pointed out a not-very-obvious notice about this nearby.
The notice was positioned at a very busy multiple crossing where drivers look out for traffic rather than parking notices. He then told me he was not giving me a ticket this time, but warning me for the future. I thought little more of this until I was surprised in June by a letter from Transport for London demanding a fine, which under the circumstances I naturally contested. Next, to my astonishment, £120 was demanded and I was informed that the contravention was recorded “and a ticket was correctly sent”.
Of course, I contested this too, which I also considered the height of injustice. In August, I received a lot of official notices and demands, with warnings about appeals court and reams of instructions. Or, I was told I could pay £180.
Why can’t there be a graded lower scale of fines for minor infringements by the elderly, who may be infirm or have difficulties? Why not let disabled or elderly drivers off with a warning rather than a fine? Many of the letters I received were marked Mayor of London. Is Boris fully aware of what is being done to disabled people and pensioners in his name?
MARY COSH
N1
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