Man slapped with parking ticket despite displaying blue badge

The son of a disabled man has expressed his anger after getting a parking ticket, despite having a blue badge displayed.

Charles Symons, from Stobswell, had taken his dad Jim to the shops and parked on Commercial Street by the old registry office.

Jim’s badge was displayed in the car, which was out of the loading bay but on double yellow lines. When the pair returned around an hour later, Charles was shocked to see the ticket on his car.

He said: “I’m not paying it. I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve got a video to show the ticket on my car next to the blue badge.

“There was a traffic warden standing on the corner. I shouted her over to ask what I had done wrong and she couldn’t tell me why I got the ticket.”

Citizens Advice says disabled drivers can park on single or double yellow lines for up to three hours, unless there is a “no loading” sign.

People with blue badges are usually able to park for free on streets with parking meters or pay-and-display machines for as long as they need to.

They are also permitted to leave their cars in disabled parking bays on streets for as long as needed, unless there is a sign displaying a time limit.

The government advises disabled motorists not to park where it could cause an obstruction or danger to other road users, and not to park on the pavement unless signs permit it.

In response to Charles’ complaint about the ticket last Sunday, a Dundee City Council spokesman said: “All motorists issued with a penalty charge notice have the right to appeal and each case is considered on its own merits.”