Goods Vehicle Loading Only !!

[YEDMANS]

I recently got a ticket outside our local hospital. My wife is a volunteer at the hospital and was driving the car with me as the passenger. She pulled into a series of parking bays which had no yellow lines and stated LOADING ONLY every 25 yards along the bays. She crossed the road to enter the hospital to collect some keys for the Hospital Radio studio, which only takes a few minutes. In the meantime this female traffic warden appears alongside the car and asks if I am able to move it. Damn! The wife has taken the keys with her!!! The warden said she had to give me a ticket. I explained that my wife was a volunteer and would probably be back before she had finished writing out the ticket! I got out of the car to remonstrate with her and she pointed to a sign 10 feet up a post stating "Goods Vehicle Loading Only" which could not be seen from inside the car due to its height. However the LOADING ONLY painted on the road was clearly visible. I told her there was a contradiction and there weren't even any yellow lines to alert you to any restriction. She shrugged her shoulders, told me this wasn't a goods vehicle and left. My wife turned up 30 seconds later. Despite appealing to the local Council the ticket stood and we paid the reduced (50%) fine of £30 within 28 days. It still leaves me seething as there must be something blatantly unlawful about the contradicting signs and lack of yellow lines.

[diskmandave]

You say in your post that you were outside of the vehicle remonstrating with the cash machine (whoops I meant parking attendant). Did she hand you the ticket or place it on the vehicle? If the former, it was incorrectly served as it should be attached to the vehicle or given to the driver of the vehicle (which she knew you wasn't).

 

It's irrelevant anyway, as when you paid the PCN, this is an admission of the contravention and that's it full stop.

 

Usually, I have (very) little sympathy for anyone ticketed for a loading bay contravention (as a LGV driver), but IMHO the PA should have walked away as soon as she knew your good lady was a hospital volunteer.

 

If there's ever a next time come back here as there a loads of friendly ppl willing to offer support and advise

[YEDMANS]

I don't know what IHMO is, but I do detect a degree of sympathy there. Ta. She stuck the ticket under the wiper and said there's not one rule for volunteers and another for everybody else! They are still ticketing loads of cars there as they have all fallen innocently into the same trap. But who do you complain to ??

[patdavies]

Since this is a hospital. it is important to precisely define what sort of tickets this is.

 

Is it private, council or police?

 

Most hospitals use private firms, so the ticket is effectively an invoice to the driver (not the registered keeper)

[diskmandave]

I don't know what IHMO is, but I do detect a degree of sympathy there. Ta. She stuck the ticket under the wiper and said there's not one rule for volunteers and another for everybody else! They are still ticketing loads of cars there as they have all fallen innocently into the same trap. But who do you complain to ??

 

IMHO is an ackronym, "In My Humble Opinion".

 

She placed the ticket on the vehicle, so it was correctly served.

 

My (Dear) Father passed away in hospital in 2004, and as such, it's my absolute belief that Hospital Volunteers should be able to park/load wherever the hell they have to, regardless of being in a car or delivery vehicle!

 

Leaving, and/or picking up keys IS loading/unloading in your capacities as Hospital Helper/s!

 

Place a laminated notice on your windscreen in future stating that you are A Hospital Volunteer, and that you are Loading/Unloading/Delivering. I believe this would comply with The Road Traffic Act 1991.

 

I would be more than happy to make a windscreen laminate for you if you can supply exact details (of volunteer location). And where to post it to of course! (Please PM me if you want me to do this!)

 

The Parking Attendants are purely cash machines for the local authority, they don't give a monkeys about personal circumstances (I know, I deliver to Mcr City Council where (Manchester) PCN's are ultimately enforced!)

 

To cut a long story short, you have my utmost respect.

 

Please let me know if I can help you further.

 

Good luck, Dave.

[saint-luco]

dave you are wrong

if it says goods vehicles loading only then thats what it means, just hope this traffic warden sleeps at night

[diskmandave]

Since this is a hospital. it is important to precisely define what sort of tickets this is.

 

Is it private, council or police?

 

Most hospitals use private firms, so the ticket is effectively an invoice to the driver (not the registered keeper)

 

"Despite appealing to the local Council the ticket stood and we paid the reduced (50%) fine of £30 within 28 days".

 

Would seem to be Local Council.

 

Welcome aboard Pat

[diskmandave]

dave you are wrong

if it says goods vehicles loading only then thats what it means, just hope this traffic warden sleeps at night

 

What constitutes a Goods Vehicle in RTA 1991 ? If a vehicle is delivering, anything... It's delivering and therefore is a goods delivery vehicle!

 

I to hope that the PA has had his/her hot chocolate!

[saint-luco]

you said " i was outside our local hospital" so i take it that means on the highway, while i dont agree with it you where illegally parked. and in reply to diskmandave any sign you leave in your windscreen does not stop you being booked you have parked illegally,

[diskmandave]

NO! Was stopped in loading bay! As a hospital volunteer, picking up keys.

 

This IMHO is LEGITT!

[diskmandave]

If a hospital worker/volunteer has to pick up or drop off keys, then AFAIC this can be loading/unloading/delivering. This makes his/her vehicle a delivery vehicle.

[YEDMANS]

Thanks for all the points raised above. These were ALL included in the appeal to the local Council and the PA actually made a note that it was a volunteer collecting keys from hospital security, but it made no difference.

 

I suppose the REAL beef is that the 'Goods Vehicle Loading Only' sign is 10 feet high and not visible from inside the car. However the many 'Loading Only' signs painted in the bays are clearly visible and there are no yellow lines to alert you to any restrictions other than this, so you wouldn't be looking for a pole with a tiny notice 10 ft. high!!!!!!!

 

There must be some legal contravention going on here and nobody seems to be doing anything about it, so the Council are just raking in the cash!!