Taxi Driver Online

Here is a link to a story that is happening regularly in our town. One of our drivers also received a "fine" for doing the same. He appealed to the parking company and lost. There is no independent body to take the appeal to because the company do not take part in any such scheme. Our driver has not paid the "fine" and is waiting to go to court to take them on.
https://www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/tran ... -1-8314944

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Grandad,

Link doesn't work could someone cut and paste the story please

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

It is your end - the link works.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Link works up here.

The problem is that the Melton times is part of one much larger newspaper group which includes the Stamford Mercury, Peterborough Evening telegraph and titles criticised by me in this thread

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31935&p=374596&hilit=skdc+banbury#p374596

the company concerned has blocked my ISP so that I cannot access any of their news sites

that is why I asked for someone else to cut and paste it

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

ITV are coming out tomorrow to talk to the drivers.

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Grandad,

A Melton taxi driver who was fined £160 for waiting in a car park too long to pick up a disabled passenger says the penalty could put cabbies off taking fares from people with mobility problems.

Lee Franklin, who has been driving cabs in the town for 40 years, was incensed when he received the parking ticket for staying a few minutes longer than the allotted 10 minutes allowed for pick-ups at the back of the Bell Centre. He says he had to carefully help regular passenger, Tom Christian, out of his wheelchair and into the front seat before folding his chair and putting it in the boot. “Every time we go in that car park to pick up a disabled passenger we are susceptible to a fine and it could put us off doing it anymore,” said Mr Franklin, who operates Lee’s Taxis.

“I was probably there three minutes longer than I should have been but my passenger was in a wheelchair, he had recently had a stroke and he can’t breathe very well. “If you start rushing him he begins to panic so I always take it very carefully and make sure he is comfortable.”

Mr Franklin has not yet paid his fine, issued by Smart Parking, which operates the car park using photographic evidence to show vehicles arriving and leaving. Mr Christian said he was willing to accompany the cabie to court to give evidence if it goes that far. He said: “I was surprised when he told me he had got a parking ticket after helping me into the taxi. “I have a job getting into it because I’ve just had a stroke and I have to take it slow. “It’s a lot of money to have to pay for helping me. “I feel so strongly about this that I will go to court with him.”

Smart Parking said Mr Franklin was invited to appeal his parking ticket by writing officially to the company. A spokesperson said: “There is an appeals process. “We cannot comment further until an appeal has been made in this case.”

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IDFIMH

Rule is don't pay, but don't ignore.

Everyone needs to follow the expert advice one can receive free via Money Saving Expert, Peepippo or The Parking Prankster.

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IDFIMH

Can you not access it via a smartphone?

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IDFIMH

Our drivr appealed gis ticket and the appeal was dismissed and you can't take the case to an independent arbitrator because smart parking do not use such procedures so you have nowhere else to go other than wait for them to take you to court.

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Grandad,

The fact that there is no independent appeal should mean that it shouldn't get to court.

At the back of my mind is a new EU directive.

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IDFIMH

They aren't signed up to BALPA either. I ignored one I got last May and I've heard nothing since October.

It isn't a fine, only courts and councils can issue fines. It's an unenforceable invoice. Post the case on Pepipoo and get all the proper advice you need.

Smart Parking are obliged to offer an appeal process. I've had many of these unenforceable invoices, never paid one, never been taken to court. appealed every time and either won or never heard any more about it.

The appeals process is to smart parking only. there is no further appeals process with them. It is a done deal with them. We just have to wait to see if they want to go to court.
As I understand things, they don't evn offer a reduced payment if paid within a certain time.
The car park in question is very small and can only accomodate about 15 cars. it is right next to a much bigger Council car park and you can drive between the 2. However many people have been caught out by parking in this car park and getting their ticket from the payment machine in the Council car park. Until it was outlawed, they used to have a van parked in the car park all day fitting clamps to vehicles who stayed 1 minute over their time.

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Grandad,

I think you do nothing now until a proper county court claim comes through, properly stamped by the court.

Have no contact with them whatsoever until the above happens.

Chance of it happening are less than 1% in my view.

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IDFIMH