Parking ticket in disabled space

pbarr

I booked in to the Riverside hotel yesterday and parked in a clearly marked disabled space out the front. This space was not the hotels but was out on the edge of the road belonging to sligo council. I am disabled and displayed my disabled badge.I could not believe it today when I came out and saw that I had got a ticket. We went back in to the hotel and the receptionist rang the council they looked for her to photocopy the ticket & my disabled badge and post it in to them which she did and they would get back to us. They tried to say the car was taking up 2 spaces which it wasn't as there is only one space there.
So now I dont know if I'm going to be charged or not for parking in a disabled space provided by Sligo town Council.
So if you are disabled and want to stay in the Riverside Hotel which is a great hotel don't park in the disabled space provided by the council outside.

julias_jewel

Thats disgraceful!!

I got a ticket 3 months ago when i parked in the disabled space my front wheel were just passed the whiite line... im talking milimetres.....

Appealed it and didnt have to pay as when I first pulled in some able bodied person parked on half the blue box.... had cctv to prove it...

Really grinds my gears :mad::mad::mad:

pbarr

Attached is a photo of the disabled space.

julias_jewel

Dats unbelieveable !!!

:eek::eek::eek:

pbarr

Got a letter from them yesterday saying the ticket could not be cancelled because "your vehicle was parked in a manner prohibited" and that the fine will be increased to €60 if I dont pay by 19th of September. After that what? Will they take me to court?
I emailed them 2 photos of the space and they rang back to say I'd still have to pay.

julias_jewel

i would def appeal it,

Its ridiculous

julias_jewel

I just got a job for 2 weeks and there is a disabled parking space outside the building. My hours are 9-5.... Is it ok to park this long there ????

Longest i have ever parked somewhere was 1 hour :D

SerialComplaint

julias_jewel wrote: »

I just got a job for 2 weeks and there is a disabled parking space outside the building. My hours are 9-5.... Is it ok to park this long there ????

Longest i have ever parked somewhere was 1 hour :D

It is certainly legal to park for any length of time, once you have the blue badge pass.

Common sense should apply. If you able to park in a less critical spot (any legal on-street parking space), maybe you should do so, and leave the marked bay for use by others during the day. If you are not able to park in any other spot, then go for it.

julias_jewel

Thanks for that.

Theres 3 of the spaces there so i just went for it!!

Eph1958

Hi, any update? I find it hard to believe that what's in that photo could even be considered a parking space.

Cat Melodeon

How is someone driving an adapted car supposed to get out of their car and into a wheelchair in that space? Surely the tree and post would make that impossible? And how on earth can they say you were taking up 2 spaces? You would have to park on top of the tree!

Anyway, you should send in a complaint in writing, along with a copy of the fine notice and the photographs you have taken. Tell them you do not accept the decision and would like to be present when the local authority traffic post-holder is making the decision, so that in the interests of transparency you can have their reasoning explained to you. Get them to confirm that the 28 days time period within which the fine has to be paid will only come into effect once your appeal has been held and a decision made.



It might also be worth while contacting the Disabled Drivers association for advice:
http://www.ddai.ie/

EDIT: Sorry, just noticed this was an old thread - someone posted looking for an update and I thought it was new.

pbarr

Ah I had to pay it. Would go up to €60 after 28 days then a court summons if I still didn't pay. They argued that its not a disabled space at all but its just an access for wheelchairs. Funny theres no signs to say this.

Eph1958

That explains it and maybe why they were so inflexible. Seems like a genuine mistake which we all make every now and again.

fergal.b

pbarr wrote: »

Attached is a photo of the disabled space.

IMG_0122.JPG (693.0 KB, 155 views)

I am not sure what type of car you have but I have two ramps that come out the back so when I wheel my son out we would probably get stuck in the drains thats if I can get him out as I have to open the side doors to unclip him and the wheelchair.If it was me I would think it was a parking space and not an access so I too would have parked there, even if it is an access having two drains to cross at the start is just mad.
Sligo town council should be ashamed of themselves calling that a wheelchair space or access its more like a trap for disabled people.:mad:

pbarr

There are no signs there to say its not a disabled space but I suppose I should have known. I only have a disabled parking card for about 4 months so I haven't much experience of using disabled spaces.
If you do a search on http://maps.google.ie/maps for "St Anne's Terrace riverside, Sligo" then zoom in to street view on result A you'll see the hotel. Its on the junction of St Anne's Terrace and Riverside.