The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Widower pursued for parking fine
Ticket issued on day Donald Macleod’s wife died at Ninewells
Ninewells Hospital car park chiefs have been slammed after sending threatening letters to a bereaved man for a fine issued on the day his wife died.
Donald Macleod was handed a penalty notice back in April while parked at the hospital in Dundee tending to his dying partner of 37 years.
Despite being given special tickets explaining his family’s heartbreaking situation to car park staff, Mr Macleod said he is being “hounded” by debt collection agency ZZPS Ltd, which sends letters threatening court action if he does not pay.
The case arose as it emerged Indigo, the private firm which runs the Ninewells car park, posted a 9.7% rise in gross profit of more than £1 million.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East Bill Bowman said: “These companies make millions of pounds a year, so the cost of forgiving one penalty charge would have an utterly minimal impact on them.”
Debt collectors are chasing a fine handed to a man on the day his wife died in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
Donald Macleod was ticketed by car park staff in the privately run car park in April of this year while tending to his wife in her last moments.
He and his son had been called to the hospital late at night, with doctors telling Mr Mcleod there was little they could do to save her.
Mr Macleod contacted The Courier after a separate incident saw ambulance driver Robin Yule ticketed while using a Scottish Ambulance Service car to help a terminally ill patient.
He said despite his family being given special tickets exempting them from a fine if their time ran out, they were still handed a penalty notice.
ZZPS Ltd have sent several threatening legal letters to Mr Macleod as part of efforts to get him to pay up.
The same company sent follow-up letters to Mr Yule, who felt threatened enough to pay £100.
Another firm, going by the name QDR Solicitors, has also started “hounding” Mr Macleod for payment.
It comes as Indigo, the private firm which runs the Ninewells car park, posted a 9.7% rise in gross profit of more than £1 million.
The company, which charges £2.30 per visit to the hospital car park using machines which do not accept card payment or dispense change, raked in a turnover of more than £2.1 million from charging patients, visitors and staff for parking at Ninewells.
Mr Macleod said: “I have been hounded and threatened with court action for a parking ticket I received on the day my wife died.
“We had put a ticket on the car before we came down to the ward but the doctors told us to get a bit of sleep.
“We tried, but the seats weren’t comfortable so we went to the car where we had about an hour and decided to go back to the ward.
“It was then I noticed the ticket had fallen down so I picked up what I thought was the ticket but it was the wrong one.
“The doctors then told me to get the whole family as they couldn’t save her, so surrounded by her family she slipped away peacefully.
“We said our goodbyes and left about 12.30.
“We had (been given) special tickets in case we were fined and we spoke to the attendant but he was no help.
“The guy at the desk tried to help us by phoning him and we explained that we had just lost our loved one.
“My son spoke to their head office and explained everything and they said they would get back but all we’ve had is letters demanding more money.”
North East Scottish Conservative MSP Bill Bowman called on the debt collectors to cancel the ticket, given Mr Macleod’s circumstances.
He said: “Surely given the circumstances Indigo and its agents ZZPS could have shown a bit of compassion and cancelled this parking ticket.”
ZZPS Ltd were contacted for comment but did not respond.
We had (been given) special tickets in case we were fined and we spoke to the attendant but he was no help
Ninewells Hospital is an environment in which compassion and caring for the most vulnerable in society is the very least which the skilled and dedicated workforce offer those unfortunate enough to be forced to attend there.
Take a step outside the doors however, and it is governed by an entirely different mindset.
The operators of the car parks serving the hospital have been shown, time and again, to put profit before people.
As well as chasing care-giving staff for parking charges, sick patients and grieving families are placed in the same catch-all bracket as genuine fare dodgers.
The case of Donald Macleod, threatened with legal action because of an error made while his wife died , is sickening.
Of course, hospital car parks must be monitored and those who abuse them brought to book, but in many cases, those attending hospital will not have parking payment foremost in their minds, especially in such heartrending circumstances as Mr Macleod’s.
When a parking firm can act as judge and jury in every instance – unencumbered by robust regulation – and charge vastly inflated fees for minor infringements, there is little likelihood of voluntary change.
The Ninewells car park is tied into a long-term contract but unless the callous collection practices end, it is incumbent on the authorities to do all they can to extricate themselves from it.