A bloke with a disability was left gobsmacked after finding he’d been slapped with a chunky fine after a disabled parking bay was painted around his own car, despite the fact that he had requested it
A bloke has been fined £70 for parking in a disabled parking bay that was painted around his car, despite the fact that he is actually disabled himself and had waited months for bay to be put in.
Graham Tufft says that a warden slapped a ticket on his car just minutes after the bay was installed, and that the ‘paint was still wet’ when he noticed it. Incredibly, it was Graham who requested the council build the parking bay, which they did on Monday (March 14) afternoon.
He told Wales Online: “At first I thought it was some information left by the guys that installed it. Then I opened it and saw it said fixed penalty notice and well, I was in disbelief. The paint on the floor was still wet.”
The 66-year-old, who lives in Newport, South Wales, explained that he did not have time to go and put the blue badge showing he has a disability on display. He said: “I didn’t even get chance to get the badge and put it in my car.
“My wife walked outside and saw the fine. I waited two years and three months for this disabled bay to be painted outside my home. I have a below-knee amputation. I have a splint on my other leg, heart failure and diabetes.”
According to Wales Online, if the fine is paid within a fortnight it is halved to £35, otherwise he will have to pay the full £70.
His wife Janice said: “We weren’t actually sure whether we had to display the badge in the car or not, as obviously the car is registered to our address. So as they were painting the space I went online to search what to do.
“It said you need to display the badge, so as soon as they were done I went outside to pop it on the dashboard. I noticed a piece of paper.
“At first, I thought it was some information left by the guys that installed it. Then I opened it and saw it said fixed penalty notice and well, I was in disbelief. It is likely just a coincidence, but it is an unbelievable one at that. The paint on the floor was still wet.”
Graham added that he hardly ever sees wardens on his road, saying: “I feel like the warden was waiting for the contractors to leave, waiting around the corner. You don’t see a parking warden here, you don’t see a policeman. It’s pretty quiet around here.”
The couple said they have started the process of appealing the penalty charge notice and have contacted Newport City Council to raise their concerns.
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