An elderly disabled woman claims she has been fined multiple times for parking outside her own home. Maria Rodriguez, 76, says she is forced to park on a small strip of double yellow lines due to the lack of resident parking permits and a disabled parking bay, despite requesting one for five years.
Sefton Council stated the fines issued to Ms Rodriguez are in line with national enforcement guidelines around parking rules. However, Maria believes the rules are too strictly enforced and do not consider her personal situation, reports the Liverpool Echo.
It’s understood the penalty charge notices issued to Maria are due to incorrect display of her blue badge and time card. Maria, for whom English is a second language, insists she was instructed to place the blue badge on the side.
When asked if there could have been a misunderstanding due to language barriers, Maria agreed but said she has clearly explained her circumstances. A Blue Badge is a parking permit allowing people with disabilities to park closer to their destination than standard parking spaces.
Maria successfully applied for a Blue Badge and uses it daily as she goes about her weekly errands. However, the problems start when she returns home and tries to find a parking space.
She is forced to park away from her house due to the lack of a disabled parking bay. Maria said: ‘I’m just tired of all this because I keep getting £70 fines for parking outside my own house. How can this be?
“I have lived here for 23 years and I remember the day that this [parking situation] changed. A machine came to do the yellow lines just on the corner – nowhere else. I had been asking for the disabled bay for many years but they didn’t do that.”
Maria is registered as having a disability and has mobility issues which impact her independence and ability to move around. One consequence of this is a greater reliance on her car and a need to have parking close to her front door.
Without resident or disabled bay parking, Maria said her life has become a daily battle. Asked whether she feels the council have made the effort to understand her need for accessible parking and to clarify display guidance, Maria said: “Well, the question is very interesting. There are people that don’t understand that [the need for appropriate parking for drivers with disabilities].
“If people had someone in their family, they would probably understand and they could make their voice heard louder than mine because I live alone and it’s difficult to get people to listen. I contacted the council to explain, but all they say is that this [fine] needs to be paid.”
A representative for Sefton Council stated: “There are a number of nationally set rules and responsibilities that must be adhered to when using a Blue Badge.
“One of those rules states that all Blue Badge holders must ensure their badges or time clocks are displayed correctly and made visible in the vehicle they are using, regardless where they park. If this is not done so then a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) may be issued.”
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