Pensioner with blue badge fined for using disabled parking bay

81-year-old Raymond Hamill had gone for a meal with his wife and daughter in Lisburn Square on August 3, and on returning to his car which was parked in a disabled bay in Smithfield Square East, discovered he had received a Penalty Charge Notice.

The Derriaghy man, who has written to the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit to appeal the decision, said he did so after reading parking advice in the Star.

Mr Hamill said he was “shocked and upset” to discover the fine.

In a letter to Roads Service, he commented: “I am an eighty-one year old gentleman who parked in the disabled bay at Smithfield Square East and as usual correctly displayed my Blue Badge in my windscreen. I was therefore shocked and upset to find a Notice attached to my windscreen on my return to my car.

“I regularly park my car in the dedicated disabled bays run by your department, i.e. Railway Street, Antrim Street, Market Street, Smithfield Street and Market Place and have never received a Penalty Charge Notice.”

Mr Hamill, who has also written to Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson about the situation, said that as disabled drivers can park on the street for free provided their blue badge is displayed, he was surprised to discover he had received a fine whilst parked in a dedicated disabled bay.

The local man also asked Roads Service why, when parked less than 50 yards away in the disabled bays outside Sweeney’s in Smithfield Street or McCall’s in Market Street, he has never received such a notice.

He added: “My daughter has driven me around all of your disabled bays and we cannot see a notice anywhere advising that disabled drivers parking in dedicated disabled bays have to pay for parking their vehicle.

“There was no notice up that I could see, it’s not good enough that they don’t draw your attention to it. It seems that the blue badge loses its authority whilst your in there.”

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