Taxi Driver Online

A taxi driver has vowed to change the law after he was penalised for helping an elderly woman

A Whitstable taxi driver who was slapped with a £70 fine for parking on double yellow lines as he helped a 94-year-old woman get to his cab has vowed he will change the law.

David Lee More was slapped with the parking ticket five weeks ago, for parking on Whitstable High Street. But the father-of-two argued he was acting in the public interest as he helped the elderly woman walk from a local shop to his waiting car.

Thankfully, David has had his fine cancelled by the council for "acting on best intentions", although he has been warned he will have to pay up if it happens again.

David, of Sturry Road in Canterbury, said: "People rely on us to get to the doctors, station, hospitals and shops and I was trying to do a public service. "We have been picking up the lady from a charity shop on the High Street for years, she volunteers there once a week.

"I was gone for only about four minutes. I understand you are can't park on the high street but how can you expect her to get to the taxi on her own at her age? "The lady was so worried about my ticket but I told her it would be alright." A donation box was set up by at his taxi office to help him pay the parking fine

David appealed against the £70 fine and had also vented his frustration on social media, which got him a "ridiculous and absolutely fantastic," amount of support from people locally. 'The law needs to be changed'

In a Facebook post, David said: "As a taxi driver I ferry the lovely people of Whitstable around to doctors hospitals and shopping from children to the elderly. "Now I have a parking ticket for helping a 94 year old into my car in town. I love my job, I love Whitstable and the people of Whitstable, but why should I get a £70 fine for doing my job?

"How can they expect a severely disabled lady to get to a side street to pick her up? There is nowhere in town to pick up. This needs to be changed and I'm gonna try to get it changed. "I love my job and I love Whitstable and the people of Whitstable. But the law needs to be changed and I'm going to continue the fight. Taxis should be allowed to drop and pick up people from the high street, especially the elderly and children."

But he may have a long battle to fight as Canterbury City Council Enforcement Manager Lacy Dixon expressed her concerns. She said: "It's a very difficult balancing act for our enforcement officers and they have acted entirely appropriately.

"The congestion caused by poorly-parked cars in Whitstable High Street is the source of a large number of complaints and demands for our enforcement officers to take action." She added parked cars that break the rules have a huge impact on other motorists, stop buses getting through and could pose a serious problem for any emergency services racing on blue lights to save people's lives.

She said: "That is why we stop people from parking or loading in certain places. Drivers' motives for stopping simply do not remove those dangers. "On this occasion we recognise he was acting with the best of intentions and we will be contacting him to say we have cancelled his ticket.

"As a professional driver, we hope Mr Moore understands our desire to keep traffic flowing. "If an enforcement officer sees him parked in this spot again in the future, he will be issued with a penalty charge notice."

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IDFIMH

He doesn't need to change the law, as the law is on his side.

He just needs to inform those that should know what the law is, what it is.

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IDFIMH

"As a professional driver, we hope Mr Moore understands our desire to keep traffic flowing. "If an enforcement officer sees him parked in this spot again in the future, he will be issued with a penalty charge notice."


nah only legislation will alter this lots mindset

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I wish him well in his crusade.

Round here they'll slam a ticket on you for loading up. I'm refusing to pay the 4 I've received.

He wasn't parked ffs

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Indeed but try getting the average thicko council official to accept that

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

there's case law

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin