Disabled man wins parking ticket battle
A DISABLED man who parked in a suspended bay has had his fine waived following a six-month battle with Bolton Council.
Steve Elster, aged 55, parked his car in a disabled space at Victoria Square, outside the Town Hall, on Sunday, May 21.
The bay was not in use on that day because it was Civic Sunday - an annual parade for the new mayor.
All the bays were suspended but Mr Elster claims the signage at the disabled spaces was inadequate.
When he returned to his vehicle he had a £30 parking ticket on his windscreen.
Mr Elster said he relies on his blue badge when parking in Bolton after a fall down stairs four years ago resulted in him struggling to walk more than 30 yards.
He complained to the council about the parking ticket but it has taken six months for him to get an answer.
He said: "I didn't see the sign at the disabled space until I got back. It was only small and there were other cars parked in the area.
"There were more cones and signs at the able-bodied spaces, which made it obvious you couldn't park there, but this was not the case with the disabled spaces.
"I wrote to the council three times and included photographs I had taken on my phone.
"Two months ago I rang the council and they said the legal department was looking into it. A month ago they said the same thing, so I contacted the local government ombudsman."
Two weeks later, Mr Elster received a letter from the council apologising for the mistake and told him the ticket had been waived.
Sheila Jackson, the council's parking manager, said in a letter: "Unfortunately, for such an event our supply of cones and suspension pods are limited and therefore placed in the most appropriate places.
"From the photographs I can see that the suspension sign was set back from the bays and not sufficient to give a clear indication that the bays were suspended.
"Therefore, on this occasion the notice will be waived and no further action taken. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and there was no intention to discriminate against disabled badge holders."
Source: ThisIsLancashire.co.uk (12/11/2006)
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