'Money grabbing' council issues tickets in commuter parking area
AN AGGRIEVED driver has accused Torbay of 'money grabbing' after issuing tickets in a commuter parking area.
Nigel Cole, who lives in Preston and works in Exeter, parked with many others behind Torquay railway station in Solsbro Road.
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He said when he returned to his usual parking spot in the evening of February 9, he found a £70 parking fine.
Other motorists were also shocked to find the ticket, he said.
"On further inspection of the lampposts in Solsbro Road, there were signs at about 8ft high which appeared as if they were the product of a Blue Peter project — badly hand made.
"The signs advise that parking in Solsbro Road had been temporarily suspended.
"When I park my car at 7.30am, it is dark and gloomy to say the least at this time of year, and the same when I return at 7pm. The chances of me spotting some badly made signs high up on lamp posts is quite remote."
He said the ticket had been issued at around 9am.
"This all leaves a nasty taste in the mouths of the people of Torbay," he said.
"The council must know people parking in Solsbro Road that early in the day in February are locals who are catching a train to earn some money.
"Would it not have been a better idea to have put a notice on the windscreen of each car advising that if the car was parked there the next day it would receive a ticket? Or is the council that desperate for cash that it is now resorting to these kind of tactics?"
A Torbay Council spokesman said: "The restrictions have been introduced temporarily in order to improve traffic flow.
"The signs are the standard signing used for any temporary parking restrictions across the Bay and they display nationally approved symbols and wording.
"If anyone feels they have been issued with a penalty notice unfairly, they are welcome to appeal."
Parking was suspended because of problems caused to Stagecoach buses and other large vehicles when the seafront was closed and the signed diversion route put in place on October 24, 2011, said the spokesman.
"The section of Solsboro Road concerned is a very sharp hairpin bend and vehicles parked on the outside of the bend at the junction with St Agnes Lane prevent vehicles negotiating the bend in a downhill direction.
"It is proposed to introduce permanent seasonal parking restrictions as currently used elsewhere on the diversion route, for example Hennapyn Road.
The suspension began on January 30.
7 Comments
by JRS1234
Friday, February 24 2012, 12:05AM
“Anything for a quick buck from Torbay Council yet again, lets raise some money with some parking fines just for a change eh?
These poor people who use public transport, even though it is unpleasant, un-reliable and expensive to get to work only to get home to a parking TAX...sorry parking fine.
Then you get the Pin Heads on here saying serves him right etc because they have nothing better to do.... eh Peter Sims?”
by Peter_sims
Thursday, February 23 2012, 5:18PM
“Wonder if Harbour sports will pipe up and have there two pennies worth. They love a good moan about parking and a shameless plug for the shop.”
by Baby_boomer
Thursday, February 23 2012, 5:02PM
“1. Person parks car.
2. Said person gets ticket for parking illegally.
3. Person runs off to local rag to bleat how hard done by he is.
Sounds like one of those ten a penny stories so beloved of local papers to fill up a few column inches Watch out for another similar whinge in next week's issue and the one after that and ....
In the meantime, please pay up Mr Cole!”
by TorbayRocks
Thursday, February 23 2012, 4:16PM
“The sign seems perfectly clear to me. Odd how he only saw the sign AFTER he had got the ticket despite it having been up for at least 9 days.”
by Multi-view TV repairs
Thursday, February 23 2012, 11:04AM
“This is another money grabbing parking scam by Torbay Council. The first signs were incorrect
because they couldn't work out where north was and this sign is probably illegal as it doesn't indicate the other lamp post . Before i noticed these signs go up i didnt realise lamp posts were numbered ! Hundreds of tickets have been issued in this spot. When the railway station was being redeveloped i brought up the question of parking in this very spot ,because of the number of hire vehicles always parked there , but was swiftly put down by the planning officer.
So what has changed ? and why a seasonal parking restriction ? do we not get summer storms
when the seafront is closed. Yes ,Mr Cole you have every right to be annoyed. But just park your car further up in solsbro road next time.”
by SlobberDan
Thursday, February 23 2012, 9:18AM
“The usual 'I expect the law to apply to everyone but me' story. If you can't read a sign that is 8' up on a lampost, which if you are 5' 6" tall would be all of 30 inches away, then you should not be driving.”
by Peter_sims
Thursday, February 23 2012, 8:43AM
“"The suspension began on January 30" And if they idiots bothered to read the public noticed in the bays local paper then they would have know it was coming. Sour grapes i reckon! No doubt they will all get them over turned. Yawn non story.”