A motorist says he was "flabbergasted" to receive a £90 parking fine after taking a drive-through coronavirus test at a car park.
Wait, what? Bit difficult to do without parking, I'd have thought!
His vehicle's details had been logged - by a camera using number plate recognition - when it entered the car park. Then when it left without a parking ticket being bought in the meantime, that automatically triggered the fine.
Oh, I see what happened! The idiot parking company didn't switch off the machine whiles testing was on. Right?
Well...
A spokesman for Highview Parking, which issued the fine, said: "The car park terms and conditions and the pay-for-parking system and tariff are set by our client - we do not have any involvement in setting these rules, or indeed when they do or do not charge for parking.
"We cannot confirm whether or not the car park has been repurposed by Enfield Council, just that we have been asked to suspend enforcement activity on specific days and times where they have agreed to provide space for Covid testing. However, the car park is still being used for retail during this time.
"As these are specific dates, we rely on notification of those dates in advance."
Well, surely you got that? From the ever-so-efficient public sector?
Regarding the date of Mr Pugh's visit, the company said: "We were only notified that the site had been used for Covid testing more than a week later, and penalty charge notices were already issued.
It added that fines "issued to visitors incorrectly on this or any other specified date where testing is taking place" would be cancelled.
Ah. I think we can see who's at fault here, can't we?
H/T: Longrider via email
5 comments:
I thought you'd be impressed.
Sometimes you enter a car park, drive round without finding a space, and then leave.
I'm always surprised at how non-violent ordinary members of the public can be. I'd have paid the fine, then sprayed over the lenses of the ANPR camera with spray paint in the dead of night. And filled the locks on the panels with superglue.
That would be a little unfair since the OP clearly states that the car park operators weren't at fault.
Our local the Covid testing station is in a Park&Ride car park, dunno if the same applies, nobody can be arsed to go there.
"I thought you'd be impressed."
Oh, indeed! :)
"I'm always surprised at how non-violent ordinary members of the public can be. I'd have paid the fine, then sprayed over the lenses of the ANPR camera with spray paint in the dead of night. And filled the locks on the panels with superglue."
Wasn't there a spate of speed camera destruction a while back..? :)
"...the OP clearly states that the car park operators weren't at fault."
I'm sure the Town Hall has cctv camera and locks too... ;)
"... dunno if the same applies, nobody can be arsed to go there."
Given the rate of failure of the test, and the pointlessness of it, your town must have a high collective IQ...
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