Council blames 'oversight' for employee receiving parking ticket in Bath taxi rank
Bath and North East Somerset Council has blamed an “oversight” for one of its trucks receiving a parking ticket after being left in a taxi rank for three hours. A council employee was left with a very costly lunch on Tuesday (February 27) after parking in the temporary taxi rank on Grand Parade.
Taxi drivers were left furious as the truck took up three spots and one told the Chronicle that the van had been parked in the same spot for at least three hours. He said cabbies pleaded with the driver to move it, but he ignored them and sat in the vehicle eating his lunch even after receiving the parking ticket.
The council has now said that the employee, who was part of a team working in Parade Gardens, had made the error as the taxi rank has only just been moved to Grand Parade. “We always remind our drivers and crews to find appropriate parking spaces and not cause an obstruction,” said a spokesperson for Bath and North East Somerset Council.
“On Tuesday, a team was working in Parade Gardens grinding out stumps and chipping green waste on site which is why they had a trailer taking up space. “The staff were used to parking legally in this location which was a single line until recently and which may have caused this oversight. “We have spoken to the member of staff about it and they have returned the trailer to the yard to minimize obstruction. “The member of staff had his lunch break in the vehicle only and the parking charge notice will not be paid out of council funds and instead by the member of staff.”
The taxi rank has recently been moved from the normal spot outside Bath Abbey in Orange Grove to its temporary location on Grand Parade while work is being carried out at the Abbey. A taxi driver who contacted the Chronicle said the truck forced fellow cabbies to circle round or park around the corner as they were unable to get in the rank. “They have moved the rank because of construction work going on at the Abbey, but this van has parked at the front of the rank,” he said on Tuesday.
“He was given a ticket and the guy has been there for at least three hours even though taxi drivers have asked him to move as he is taking up three spaces. “It’s not just the van as it also has a trailer on the back, which makes it even worse. “It means several drivers are not able to get in the taxi rank and have to circle round or park around the corner.”
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